Flirting 101
by Xdemon-alchemistX
Summary: Kyoko's trying desperately to hide her new found feelings for Ren. But when a new role presents itself, she realises she needs his help now more than ever. And it's the kind of help she needs that may lead to them getting closer than ever before. "Tsuruga-san...how exactly, does one...flirt?"
1. Chapter 1

**Wow I haven't written a fanfiction in a long time. But my god how I've wanted to! And this particular plot bunny wouldn't leave me alone! And why wouldn't it? What with all that's happening in Skip Beat at the moment. It did start out as a one-shot, but I've expanded it. There may be slight spoilers if you haven't read the latest chapters of the manga. Just a forewarning! Enjoy!**

* * *

**Flirting 101**

**Chapter 1**

The script was trembling in her grasp, the words blurring as her entire body shook with the force of a hundred gushing emotions, each wanting to take precedence. Fear, happiness, shock, horror, relief, and so many more- it was hard to name them all.

'But...what... are you sure they want me? I mean if they truly do then of course I accept! I will accept with all my heart. It's just that...well; the role is the complete and utter opposite of anything I've played before.' Kyoko questioned, her voice was quivering and her eyes never once left the script in front of her.

'It's not a large role per say, a secondary character in a mini series. But they wanted you because of your Natsu and Mio.' Sawara-San replied patiently, leaning over his desk. He was watching the girl curiously, as if waiting for a sudden outburst. Nobody would blame him for thinking such things. The girl was so ridiculously unpredictable. He supposed that was part of what made her such a fine actress, the ability to keep people on their toes even when she wasn't acting out a role.

Kyoko's head snapped up at his response and she couldn't help the incredulous eyebrow that rose in Sawara's direction. 'Huh? But neither Natsu nor Mio are like this character at all. I'm afraid I don't quite understand what Director-san expects of me.'

Sawara bit back a chuckle at that. Trust Kyoko to start calling the director by a formal name, even though she didn't actually know his name yet 'The director is called Yamasaki, and he told me on the phone that he was impressed by your eyes in both of the characters. Though they are bully roles, each have a mark of tragedy or sadness behind them- and it was the way you brought that out in your expressions particularly which compelled him. You see on the surface, whilst these characters are all completely different from each other, they each come with a distinct mark of sadness.'

The orange-haired actress listened to his description with the rapt attention of a soldier on the front lines, the script now clutched to her chest. Her body and mind seemed to clear, the slightly more negative emotions evaporating into the cosmos. However she still had doubts, it was such a different role and the things required...

Sawara-san noticed her thoughts begin to wonder again and, taking a very good guess as to why, stood up and made his way towards her with intent to reassure. But he stopped short. Throughout his entire career he'd had to give motivational speeches, pick-me-ups and condolences whenever he was needed and he did a damn good job of it. He wasn't one of LME's top managers for nothing.

But... Kyoko seemed to be an exception. It was all part-and-parcel of the aforementioned ability the girl possessed. He could never guess what side of her he'd have to deal with. And perhaps it was her role as Love Me member number one, but her doubts and fears seemed to be a hundred times stronger than any other actor he'd had to deal with. This was ironic considering she held, within her, the ability to far outshine the vast majority of actresses or actors that he'd met in a career that had spanned longer than he'd care to admit. If she could only get rid of those demons and see the true potential locked away within her.

Sawara-san sighed and, despite his trepidation, placed an encouraging hand on her shoulder.

'Mogami, I know you've gotten used to playing only certain types of roles and this is completely new ground. It's natural to feel nervous. But I've seen you come through and exceed expectations before and I have no doubt in your ability to do so again. And, if anything, it'll give you a chance to broaden your skills as an actress and prove to yourself and others that you play more than just bully roles. And if you need any help, you have your friends. The other Love Me girls...oh wait I guess they wouldn't really be able to help here...' Sawara-san paused, a frown making the faint lines on his forehead more prominent. Kyoko gazed upwards in hope that he would NOT suggest what she thought he was going to.

'Ah! Why don't you ask Tsuraga-san?' He replied brightly with a snap of his fingers.

And there her hope died.

* * *

'Does anyone else feel that?' A crew member for LME glanced over his shoulder. 'The air, it feels thicker here, gloomy.'

'You're right it does, doesn't it?' his colleague nodded, noting the slight chill running up and down his spine. 'Kind of like a sad spirit is lost here or something.'

'Oh come on guys- that's stupid.' A third crew member rolled his eyes as the first of his colleagues stopped to drink from a nearby fountain. 'There's no such thing as spirits, or thicker air, or anything like that. I think you guys need to chill o-'

'Excuse me.' A deep, miserable voice interrupted him and he turned around to apologise.

'Sorry didn't mean to get in your way- AIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!' The crew member shrieked when he saw the gloomy blue expression on the face of Love Me member number one. She looked like all hope had been sucked from the world.

Kyoko didn't notice the screaming, and just passed him by, seemingly floating away on a cloud of her own misery.

'Hahaha Hiro-kun you shoulda seen your face!' The second crew member laughed. 'You almost pissed yourself!'

'Oh shut up.' Hiro-kun grumbled.

Meanwhile the gloomy young actress trudged through the halls of LME. It was the end of a long day of work and she had been looking forward to going home and having a nice bath, relaxing and unwinding so she could focus on the next box-r shoot, which was to be a rather intense exchange between Natsu and a rival bully gang.

_Kami-sama, why do you have to give with one hand and take away with another?_

She knew she should be feeling over the moon. This was her first non-bully role that would be played to major audiences. She should be feeling on top of the world, she should be dancing and celebrating with her faerie friends coming out to sparkle and share in her joy-

'Mogami...'

-and yet she felt the prospect of this role entirely daunting. And not completely because of the role itself, but who's advice she had been told to seek-

'Mogami?'

-after all she hadn't truly been alone with him since Tragic Marker shooting had ended and they'd gone back to being just Kyoko and Tsuraga-san. But things had changed now, and she was still unsure of how to hide her new found feelings towards him. And she had to do that, she _had_ to, at any cost she needed to protect herself against these feelings- and the man that caused that most hated of emotions...

'Mogami, are you alright?'

'AIEEEEEEEE!' Kyoko let out a cry not unlike the one she had elicited from the poor unsuspecting crew man just minutes previous. When she looked up at the one who'd caused her heart to momentarily stop, it caused her heart to wake up with a vengeance and the blood to instantly rush to her face.

'Ah, sorry to startle you.' Ren blinked in surprise, wondering how long it had been since he'd seen a reaction like that from her- and he tried to hold back a smile. Instead he raised his hands innocently. 'You looked like you were deep in thought.'

Kyoko seemed rooted to the spot, her brain seemed to stop working- except to tell her information that was completely the wrong type of information to be focusing on. The way his hair sometimes fell in his eyes, she quite liked that- or the glint in his eyes when he was trying to hold his amusement back. He thought her reaction was funny. She blushed again and hated it even more. Lord how she wished this emotion would just go away and leave her alone forever!

'I suppose you did.' She replied, awkwardly spluttering out the words, when her logical brain decided to finally catch up to the moment. 'Um, did you need anything? I'm sorry if you were trying to get my attention.'

'Hm? No I didn't need anything in particular. I just noticed you walking past so I thought I'd see how you were.' Ren shrugged slightly _and because I missed you these past few weeks_ is what he really wanted to say. But he held his tongue as always.

'Oh. Well, I'm fine. Thank you.' Why was it so awkward? It was so painfully, painfully awkward. And Kyoko knew why. _If this damned emotion of love were a rock, I would take that rock, put it in a large slingshot and shoot it straight into the sun where it would burn to a crisp never to curse me again!_

'Yes, I noticed how _fine_ you were as you marched through the hall with a face like thunder.' Ren grinned and it was a full teasing grin. Kyoko looked up and frowned. He obviously didn't feel awkward at all! It was infuriating! Here she was suffering this stupid, stupid, STUPID curse of an emotion and he was just standing there all STUPIDLY handsome, completely fine and safe in the knowledge that he could have any woman on the planet. It made her feel murderous.

Ren knew enough about the girl before him to know that she was suppressing a great deal of negative emotions right now and tried to fight the jealousy attempting to flare up within him. He had one guess as to who these emotions were aimed at. She'd obviously had a run-in with Sho Fuwa. Nobody else was able to bring about such strong feelings within her...

He sighed, hoping that the flow of air out of his lungs would calm him- that his jealousy would just float away. After all, the last time he'd let his jealousy get the better of him where Kyoko was concerned- well, he didn't want to think about it.

'I'm off the clock now. Filming has finished for the day, and I was wondering, since we are both free- if you would join me for dinner? Perhaps you'd feel better if you shared what was bothering you. I have two ears you can borrow.' Ren said, smiling in what he hoped was an encouraging and persuasive manner. Little did he know of the thousands of panic bells ringing in Kyoko's mind the second he uttered those words. The alarm bells that stated, with absolute clarity, that she was to never- NEVER- be alone with him. At least until she'd gotten this whole love thing out of the way, or under control at the very least.

'Um...well...I'm not sure. I have work early tomorrow you see and-'

'You know I really miss Setsu's cooking. It was so good. All the convenience store food just doesn't compare, it tastes so much worse now.' He knew it was a cheap shot, he knew it was a dirty trick. But if it meant spending more time with her than he'd never wipe the puppy-pout off his face.

And it was with a wide smile on his face, that Ren drove them back to his apartment, the sun setting over the skyscrapers casting the car in a beautiful orange glow.

For Kyoko, the sunset symbolised her defeat and, most definitely, her doom.

* * *

**Reviews are love :) This chapter was basically an establishing one so not as much action. However fluff is on the horizon, that I most certainly do promise!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Wow! It's only been up a day, and this story has had an amazing response! Thank you all for your support, it's truly inspiring. Please continue you to support me (^_^) In the meantime I hope you enjoy the second chapter!**

* * *

Chapter Two

She just had to keep dicing, that was all. Just keep dicing the vegetables. She didn't have to concentrate on the complete and utter hopelessness of the situation she was currently in. Maybe there was still hope anyway. After all, Cinderella had been in a terrible situation and she was saved by a fairy godmother and lead to a life of charm and luxury.

_Well knowing my luck my fairy godmother would be killed by Rumpelstiltskin and I would be tricked into signing my soul away to hell! _Kyoko cursed inwardly, and her dicing became a bit more furious.

Ren, meanwhile, wasn't having much luck getting her out of her mood- and that had only served to darken his. Whatever had happened to her to get her into such a state must have been caused by that damned musician. How he longed for the days when Fuwa was just a blip on his radar.

Still, he wouldn't give up.

'So, that script that you brought with you, is it for a new role?' He asked in what he hoped was a flippant manner, resting his chin on his hand and leaning forward over the table (he had offered to help and she had actually _slapped_ his hand away with a spatula).

Kyoko stopped dicing and for a moment he thought he had her distracted enough so that he could swoop in and brighten her mood.

'Yes.' She replied after about a minute of silence and it was probably the most miserable sounding confirmation he'd ever heard from her. Despite this his heart leapt a bit. Maybe he'd been wrong, maybe it wasn't about Fuwa after all.

'Do you want to talk about it?'

Kyoko sighed, pouring the chopped up vegetables into the saucepan and placing the lid on top. After that she walked over to the table, bringing her drink of water with her and doing seemingly anything possible to avert her eyes from him. 'It should be done in about thirty minutes or so, it just needs to boil- and then the sauce will start to thicken.' She stated robotically as she took a seat opposite him.

Ren raised his eyebrow. 'That didn't exactly answer my question, but I suppose I can take the hint.'

Kyoko glanced up at him, her lower lip sticking out into the tiniest of pouts and Ren found himself instantly fixated on it. He couldn't help it. It was so adorable he didn't know how he resisted taking her in his arms, carrying her off to his bedroom (she would probably protest about the dinner getting ruined but to hell with it) and spending all night showing her how much loved that pout, along with every other bit of her. After all, despite the fact that it had all been an act, he was very much aware that her cute side covered up what could only be described as a hidden temptress- one he could spend hours of his life coaxing out of her shell with kisses, touches, licking...sucking...

'It's not that I don't want to tell you.' Kyoko's voice violently jerked Ren out of his musings on what he'd do to Imaginary Kyoko and he suddenly felt a rush of guilt. Here she was having what was clearly a great inner crisis and what was he doing? Shamelessly fantasising about her when she was sitting only a few feet from him! Hadn't he learned to control himself by now? He took a sip of water to cool himself down, only realising afterwards that it was- in fact- Kyoko's water.

Ren mentally kicked himself for how stupidly he was behaving, and was about to apologise and go get her a new glass when Kyoko absent-mindedly picked up the glass and took a sip from the very place his lips had been moments before.

His breath hitched. _Did she just-?_

Ren shook his head and attempted to compose himself. She had obviously been too deep in thought to realise what had just occurred. Or maybe it was a left over reflex from their days acting as Cain and Setsu? Whatever it was, it didn't mean anything. It didn't mean _anything_. It. Didn't. Mean. Anything.

Kyoko, completely oblivious to Ren's inner struggle, frowned and tried to focus on the right way to say what she wanted. She wished her heart would calm down, that he throat would relax. Why was it so difficult? She'd never acted this way around Sho. But then- she supposed- she hadn't known any better then. She had accepted these disgusting feelings once upon a time. That HAD to be why she couldn't keep calm. Her spirit was fighting against this emotion with all its might. Of course her body would be on edge. She looked up at Ren again, knowing if she kept acting strangely around him he'd probably get suspicious. Most likely he already was.

Kyoko took a great shuddering breath, hoping the gods of fate would give her a chance.

'It's a romance role.'

The air around them suddenly seemed to get a lot more dense and she wasn't exactly sure why. Her mind unwillingly flittered back to that night. The image of Setsu straddled over Cain's hips. It was like a thousand little pixies carrying knives suddenly attacked her consciousness, and she had to fight not to groan in embarrassment. Of all the ways she could have calmed her brother's spirit that night, why did it have to be a way that burned the pure Kyoko with mortification every time she thought about it?

Ren coughed awkwardly. Not entirely sure what to do with his hands. When she'd revealed what was bothering her, they instantly made to touch her reassuringly. He had to calm down those urges. They weren't Cain and Setsu anymore. They were Kyoko and Ren. And Kyoko and Ren, he thought bitterly, didn't do those sorts of things. He was pretty sure she'd create a Kyoko-shaped hole through his front door if he so much as placed one finger on her.

He inwardly kicked himself for the second time that night, realising that Kyoko was looking at him expectantly. He was focusing on his own problems. He'd been doing that too much recently. Once again he reaffirmed to himself that he would always be there for her, even if he wanted more from her than she would ever be willing to give him.

'Ah, and you are nervous?' He asked with a slightly inquisitive tilt. Kyoko noticed him watching her with great intensity, and she bit her lip.

'Not nervous exactly, just confused I suppose. I'm not entirely sure what the director expects of me.' She said remembering what Sawara-san had told her earlier in the day.

'The story is a three-part drama, and I play a young woman named Yui. She had previously been engaged to a man named Kaito who the police are now investigating- as they believe him to be part of a criminal gang responsible for hacking into banking systems and stealing a great deal of money. Initially she is treated as a suspect, because she'd known the man most of her life. But eventually it is revealed that Kaito left her on their wedding day three months ago and she has had little contact with him since.'

It was here Kyoko frowned, still unable to wrap her head around her characters motivations and beliefs. She carried on 'She continues on with her life, currently studying a degree in computer technology. She is a smart woman, a capable and independent one, but she has been deeply hurt by Kaito and feels betrayed. Yet still she refuses to give up on the idea of love, and she enters into a romance with the man in charge of the investigation- a man named Takumi and together they help stop the crime ring. She's terrified of being hurt, but by the end she has overcome her problems and is together with Takumi. I don't understand that. Why any smart woman would want to accept love again after being hurt so badly before...'

Ren watched Kyoko trail off, deep in her own thoughts and he couldn't help but wonder to himself just what exactly that bastard musician had put her through. If he had yen for every time he thought this, his wealth would exceed the entire world leaders combined. But along with those bitter thoughts came a ray of hope. Maybe this was the role she needed; much like his first romantic role was one that he had needed. This seemed to have the President's mark all over it. To perform this role in a believable way, that surely meant that she would have to accept love back into her life. And finally graduate from the Love Me section. But why would he allow her to have this role now? It was clear she was no closer to accepting the emotion.

He realised Kyoko was still swimming in her own thoughts, and decided to give her advice that he once received by his father. 'Well isn't that the wonder of being an actor? You get to answer these questions yourself. By becoming the character, you get to answer why she would want to accept love, why she is willing to not forsake it entirely. It's up to you to make it believable. You have to see things from the characters point of view.'

Kyoko looked up at him again relieved that, for the time being at least, they had reverted into the comfortable Sempai-Kohai role they'd had before this whole mess had started. She even dared sigh with relief. Finally her heart and mind seemed to relax. This was how she knew Tsuraga-san best after all. This was how she would continue to know him. _This is the best I'm going to get _she thought bitterly for a second, and then cursed herself for thinking such a foolish thought. She wasn't hoping for anything else, she was perfectly comfortable leaving things the way they were. Forever. End of story.

'I know, I will have to find a way of understanding her. It's so difficult; the character has an opinion that's completely different to my own.'

Ren raised his eyebrow again, commenting dryly 'And you've never had to act that way before? I suppose you enjoy being a bully like Natsu? Or a bitter, manipulative socialite like Mio?' _Or a seductive, barely dressed temptress like Setsu? _He nearly bit his tongue off stopping himself from saying the last part out loud.

Kyoko shifted uncomfortably in her seat. 'I can see what you mean, it's just that- well they are all negative emotions. And this-'

'You'll find a way to see things from her point of view. Trust in yourself. You made Mio and Natsu your own; you made Setsu your own. You have always had the ability, so don't doubt yourself. Try your best, that's all anyone ever asks of you. And I am sure you'll be fine.' He reassured with a gentle smile.

'You really think so?' Kyoko asked, looking at him with large expectant eyes. He chuckled slightly.

'I know so. You'll be fine.' He nodded.

Kyoko smiled her first true smile in what seemed like forever. His reassurances, his faith in her, made her feel like she could do anything she set her mind to. Not that she needed to rely on him to gain confidence. That was ridiculous. She didn't need anybody to tell her that she could do a job. She just wanted to be fantastic at it. She wanted to give one hundred and ten percent to the role. She wanted to prove that she could do more than act like a bully. Though she had doubts she could perform a role based around an emotion that she had sworn to be rid of forever, she knew she could do it if she really tried. She just had to become Yui, the same way she had become all her other roles.

She couldn't lie to herself though. It did lift her spirits, knowing that there were people around her who supported her, that told her to go for her dreams. It was nice having people who believed in her. It was especially touching coming from such an amazing actor as Tsuraga-san. That was why her heart was currently soaring, why she felt like she could dance among the stars- having the respect and faith of a superior actor. It had nothing to do with the fact that it was Tsuraga-san who had so much faith in her. That was simply preposterous.

_When did things get so complicated?_

'Is that all that was bothering you?' Ren said. Neither of them noticed that he had taken another sip from Kyoko's glass of water.

Kyoko frowned. 'Yes. I mean no. I mean-' she sighed and decided to approach the topic differently. 'Do you remember when you were stuck trying to figure out your role for Katsuki in Dark Moon? And you asked me to help?'

Ren's heart began to beat just a tiny bit faster, and he took another sip of water. 'Yes...' his voiced wavered a little and he inwardly rolled his eyes at himself. _So much for the cool, confident Tsuraga-san._

'Well, the characters of Yui and Takumi fall in love, but their relationship is very um- flirtatious.' She said, trying to flight the blush demons currently invading her cheeks. 'They aren't serious all the time, and they're quite a playful couple. But- I don't know how to act that way comfortably. I don't know the first thing about flirting.'

Ren covered his mouth with his hand, giving off the impression that he was stroking his face in thought. In reality he was trying to keep his smile hidden. 'I see...and you want me to help?'

'Well, it's as I've said- I don't know anything about flirting! I don't know anything about being in a couple, much less being in a playful relationship. And I know that you have playboy tendencies-'

_Where on Earth does she get these opinions of me? _Ren thought, his eyebrow twitching.

'- and I know someone like you must have experience in that kind of area. I suppose what I'm asking is, Tsuraga-san...how exactly, does one...flirt?' If her face wasn't red before, it most definitely was now.

Kyoko watched for her Sempai's reaction, and took a sip of her water whilst she did so. He was sitting across from her- looking as though he was deep in thought. This was such a stupid idea. She wanted to curse Sawara-san for suggesting it. Any moment now she was going to be laughed out of the door, she was sure of it.

Ren, on the other hand, was wondering how many times he could bang his head on the table in frustration without sustaining a concussion and missing work. Honestly he wasn't sure whether to be happy that he finally had the chance to flirt with her shamelessly, under the pretence of helping her work, or curse that he had to teach her to flirt back. Of all the fantasies he had of the two of them getting closer, _this_ was most certainly not one of them.

Then there was the other part of him, the part that told him if he engaged in flirting with her, he wouldn't be able to stop, and his true feelings for her would reveal themselves. He might lose her forever if that was the case; scare her off never to return. The phrase _"playing with fire"_ sprang to mind. But he had made a vow to always be there for her when she needed him.

It was at that moment the saucepan started to boil over and Kyoko leapt up in a panic, spilling the glass of water the two had been inadvertently sharing over the table. Not noticing this, she ran to the stove and began to fix up dinner whilst Ren sighed and mopped up the water with a table cloth.

'So you would like me to teach you how to flirt?' He said finally, glancing over at her. She had stopped stirring the contents of the stove and hung her head, trying to hide the fact that she was still blushing.

'Yes. I know it is a lot to ask, so of course I understand if you say no. I'm sure I can figure this out on my own eventually and I-'

'It's alright.' Ren interrupted her. 'I'll help.'

Her eyes snapped up to him and even the stove seemed to stop silent.

'You will?' Kyoko asked, slightly sceptical. 'Are you sure?'

Ren laughed at that. 'Yes I'm sure. I doubt it'll take you too long to pick up.' He grinned and stepped closer to her, leaning down to her level. His gaze darkened and his smile turned playful, seductive even. Kyoko gulped, suddenly feeling like trapped prey. The next words he spoke dripped from his mouth like pure honey, like liquid gold. 'I have every confidence in your _abilities_.'

Kyoko's whole body turned tomato-red and she began stuttering thanks, trying to keep her head cool to no avail. Her hands shook violently, causing the spatula in her hand to whack against the stove repeatedly. It was no good. This whole situation was going to do horrible things to her health. This was the worst idea in the history of the universe.

Ren laughed again and she pouted, getting the distinct feeling she was being mercilessly teased.

'That was lesson number one.' He replied standing back up to full height, his eyes twinkling with mirth.

Ren continued to laugh, even as he dodged the barrage of tea-towels thrown in his direction.

* * *

**So what did you guys think of this chapter? I'm trying to get across that their both in that really awkward phase of both being aware of their feelings, but not being aware that the other loves them, whilst still trying to keep them in character. I have to say I love writing their interactions and I hope I'm doing a good job of it. Please review and let me know if I'm doing well with it! **

**Also if anybody got the reference to Once Upon a Time- free cookie for them! :D let me know if you did!**


	3. Chapter 3

**And I'm back after a weekend away. Once again I'm absolutely bowled away by the response of this story :D Free cookies for everyone! Thanks so much for all the wonderful feedback! Now on to chapter three!**

* * *

Chapter Three.

Kyoko sighed with relief as she collapsed onto the sofa in her dressing room. Today's shooting on Box-R had made her feel exhausted. The climax of the series was rapidly approaching and the drama was gaining intensity. The director, ever the perfectionist, kept repeating scenes from different angles so that he could see which shots provided the best sense of urgency. It meant repeating the same extreme standoffs over and over again until she was emotionally drained. But it was worth it. The director was happy with the results, and pleased with her work. So she had mercifully been excused for the day.

Just for a minute, she decided to relax before changing and making her way back to the Darumaya for the evening. It had been a long day of standing up for hours straight and Natsu's heels became more painful the longer she stood in them. She was sure she had a few blisters.

As she was musing over taking a long hot bath (one that she had promised herself the day previous, before getting distracted by her new role) her phone buzzed in her pocket and she bolted upright, horror-struck. Had she left it on all this time? How unprofessional could she possibly be?! She decided it was probably best that she check her messages before going into full-on dozega mode, and apologising to the director for something he had been unaware of before. She didn't want to add to his stress levels, they were already so high.

She pulled out her phone and, once she'd read the message, dropped it like the phone had suddenly grown pincers and was trying to snap at her. What on earth was the meaning of him sending her a message like that? Why would Tsuraga-san think that was appropriate?

"_I thought about you all day today."_

WHY WOULD HE BE THINKING ABOUT HER ALL DAY?

* * *

Ren tapped his fingers on the bar impatiently. He was supposed to be concentrating on meeting the director for his next project, but the director was late. So he sat, nursing a scotch on the rocks, wondering if his experiment would pay off. He'd been thinking about how to approach the subject of teaching Kyoko how to flirt, but all of his ideas had caused either one of two problems to arise. The first being that whatever he did, he was sure she would be scared off and forever denounce him as a pervert. The second, he started getting too involved in the fantasy, and ended up highly distracted to the point where he had forgotten he was supposed to be _helping_ Kyoko. He wasn't sure which problem worried him the most.

But then he'd had an epiphany. It was really the best solution he could think of. After all, a diver doesn't start training by jumping off the highest platform. He starts from the bottom and works his way up. And that's what he'd do with Kyoko. He would help her learn to flirt, but first he had to ease her into the very idea of flirting with a man.

Luckily modern technology made his life a lot easier in that regard. Texting her flirtatious messages, he thought, would surely be the best way to ease her into the idea. It was intimate and private, and yet she wasn't face-to-face with him. She had time to think through her response. It was less intense. It was almost perfect.

He started when his phone buzzed a response from Kyoko and he tried to ignore his slightly increased heart rate. When he read the message, his heart sank.

"_Tsuraga-san, I'm not sure you sent that message to the right person."_

Ren groaned, and placed his head on the bar, earning a sympathetic glance from the barman. Of course it wouldn't be simple. Nothing ever was with this girl. He supposed that, in some twisted way, was one of the many reasons he loved her.

He typed out his response

"_No I meant to send that message to you. As part of what you asked of me last night, I thought it best that I should try to teach you to text-flirt first, to get you used to the idea."_

A few minutes later, he got a response that made his eyebrows shoot up so quickly that it was a wonder they stayed on his forehead.

"_Oh, well then I suppose I should respond by asking- what is it you were thinking of exactly?"_

He most definitely did not expect that kind of a response so quickly. He was sure she was going to need talking through the finer points of text-flirting before they started. But it could have been just part of her naturally inquisitive nature. One of the downsides of texting was being unable to figure out the exact tone of a text message, and that could lead to misunderstanding if he wasn't careful. He had to be blunt here.

"_I was thinking about the cute way you pout when you're annoyed or worried. But mainly I was thinking about that beautiful smile of yours."_

He cringed slightly at the message, hoping he hadn't lost any severe levels of respect with the orange haired beauty. He prayed she wouldn't think less of him. Still he couldn't help but imagine her there, trying to type out a response. She was probably blushing, and maybe biting her lower lip...

_SNAP OUT OF IT REN!_ He thought, shaking his head. It hadn't really occurred to him that he would look rather strange just shaking his head for no reason, until his ever faithful manager hopped onto a bar stool beside him and gave him a strange look.

Yashiro frowned- slightly concerned for his charge. He'd been acting peculiar all day. From his first job in the morning, the bespectacled young man had noticed Ren carrying a distracted manner about him. Nobody else had picked up on it and, whilst that was a relief, Yashiro still had some concerns as to what was plaguing the mind of the young man currently sitting next to him. Especially considering Ren now seemed to be staring at his silent phone with rapt attention- and had no idea he had even sat back down. Yashiro doubted that Ren would move for a meteor strike. With the way he'd been behaving, he most likely wouldn't notice one if it happened.

Still, Yashiro hoped that whatever it was- it had to do with the recent developments between Ren and a certain young actress. He frowned, taking a sideways glance at his silent companion. Maybe Ren hadn't noticed the way Kyoko had been looking at him these past few weeks, but Yashiro certainly had. He wasn't their number one fan for nothing, nor was he stupid. Whether the pair realised it or not, something was changing in their relationship.

And Yashiro was going to have as much fun with it as he possibly could.

'I'll have the same thing as my friend here.' Yashiro ordered, causing Ren to start beside him. He held back a grin.

Ren blinked. 'Yashiro, I didn't know you were back.' His tone seemed casual, but the manager knew better. His words were loaded with accusation.

'Yes. That phone call did last longer than expected. But I thought the Chiba-san would be here by now.' Casual- that was the name of this game. At least for now.

'He sent a message claiming there was a road accident and he was stuck in traffic. But he would be here shortly.' Ren replied. The brown haired man got the sneaking suspicion that Yashiro knew something had been on his mind, and had probably guessed what that something was- if that twinkle in his eye was anything to go by.

Ren didn't like that twinkle one bit. It was a horribly demented twinkle, a twinkle that promised bad things in his future.

'I see. Is that why you were caressing your phone with your thumbs? Or is there some other reason for such peculiar behaviour?' Yashiro asked coolly, picking up his own glass of scotch and taking a calculated sip. He slipped another sideways glance at Ren, only this time their eyes met, and Ren was strongly reminded of the time he'd almost been mobbed by a crazed fan girl.

Ren sniffed, torn between amusement and annoyance. 'You have a rather active imagination for a manager. Did you ever consider going into the creative side of showbiz? You'd make an excellent writer.'

Yashiro opened his mouth to banter back when Ren's phone buzzed and the young actor's response was so immediate that it nearly sent Yashiro flying off of his stool. Ren snapped his attention back to his phone and Yashiro noticed the tiny tinge of colour dashed across his cheekbones. He also noticed Kyoko's name on the phone screen and something in his brain clicked. His heartbeat quickened. Surely they couldn't be- they weren't?

'Excuse me, just what are you doing?' Ren replied as Yashiro whipped the phone from his grasp and set it on the counter on the other side of him.

'What are you doing Ren?' Yashiro said in a warning tone. 'Have you completely lost your head?'

Ren, though angry at first, now blinked in confusion- startled by the bite in Yashiro's voice.

'I don't know what exactly you're messaging to Kyoko, and I don't know what she is messaging back. If you don't want me to know, that's fine, I respect your privacy. But I am not a fool, nor am I a completely useless manager.' He hissed, as if afraid that someone could overhear their conversation.

Ren frowned, feeling as though he was missing something. A feeling he didn't particularly like. 'I don't see the problem in helping Kyoko with something she asked. She solicited my advice. I am simply giving her an acting lesson. What is so wrong with that?'

'Ren _think_! Regardless of how innocent your intentions think of the ways the media could spin this for a story. You're a good man, and some of the lesser publications have been trying to get dirt on you for years. What if somebody got a hold of yours or Kyoko's phone and read those messages? Can you imagine the frenzy it would cause? Do you really want Kyoko to go through that?'

The colour drained from Ren's face and he blanched, suddenly needing another glass of scotch. How...how could he have not thought of that? How much of an idiot did he have to be to not think of the potential risks of this scenario? He'd put Kyoko's reputation in harm's way, and that was something he thought he would _never_ do. He felt sickened. Had love blinded his reason completely?

Yashiro sighed, looking at the aghast expression on his charges face, and his own countenance softened considerably. He picked up the phone next to him, ready to hand it back. 'Ren, listen to me. People can be careless in their excitement sometimes, it's human error. Don't spend hours obsessing over it. Just change whatever you were doing to something a bit more cautious and learn from your mistake.'

'I'm never careless.' Ren mumbled and Yashiro had to chuckle at that.

'Everyone is careless at times. If everybody in the world were perfect, then there would be no need for managers. And you wouldn't want me to be out of a job would you? Wait, don't answer that.' He joked, nudging Ren in the side. Ren smiled weakly back. Yashiro supposed it was something.

'Here' Yashiro said, holding the phone up to Ren. 'Just explain to her your mistake. Kyoko will understand.'

Ren took the phone from his manager's hands and flipped it so he could write a message back to the orange-haired beauty.

Only there was one problem.

'Yashiro...' He muttered darkly and the manager suddenly felt like he'd been ducked under a pool of ice. He could _feel_ the gentleman smile even though he couldn't yet see it. Nor did he want to see it. 'How long were you holding the phone for?'

The answer was, long enough for the manager's technology-curse to come into effect.

The phone wasn't working.

* * *

She had to have done something wrong.

That had to be the reason. She must have said, or done, something completely wrong. She must have said something so astronomically, cataclysmically, catastrophically WRONG that Ren had destroyed any and all messages from her and was probably taking a vow to never contact her again.

_What have I done? I've ruined everything! He hates me now! Surely he must! Oh why didn't I wait for his instructions? I should have waited. He's probably so disgusted with me!_

Kyoko's mind swam with thoughts like these as she walked through the streets back to the Darumaya. With every step her mind screamed at her that she'd screwed up, she'd done something wrong, she'd ruined any chance of ever getting closer-

_No! That's not what I wanted anyway_ her mind screeched at her and she shook her head, desperately craving a bath and hoping the restaurant wouldn't be too crowded tonight. She even dared hope the restaurant would close early and therefore she could take an early bath and go to bed. Maybe she would wake up and find it was all a dream and she HADN'T messaged her beloved Sempai that she thought he had a lovely smile too.

She burned with shame just thinking about it.

Kyoko huffed a little sigh of relief as she reached the door or the Darumaya, and found it locked. Pinned to the door was a little note from the Taisho couple, explaining that they would be away for the night visiting Taisho's sister who had gone into hospital for surgery. Kyoko, despite her mental state, made a note to wish Taisho's sister well, and made her way to the back entrance.

She reached her room, turning on the hall lights as she went, by the time she got out of the bath- she guessed it would be night, and she didn't exactly feel safe wandering around by herself in the dark. Especially in nothing but a towel.

Kyoko, in a desperate bid to stop obsessing over how she had lost one of the best Sempai's- one of the best friends- she'd ever had, decided to take a bath using the fancy new bubble bath products Moko-san had given her for White Day. Maybe the fumes from the bath would send her to a fairy-land and she could float away on the bubbles. She was sure she had seen something similar in a movie. Never in her life had she wanted to float away from her troubles more than she did tonight.

It was no good, not even the calming scents of lavender and ylang-ylang could quell the fear and hopelessness from her heart and mind. How foolish she had been, she should have just asked Moko-san, or read some of those magazines she saw girls in her class read, anything would have resulted in something better than this, she was sure.

Kyoko got out of the bath and dressed into some comfortable pyjamas, wrapping herself in a light silk kimono that the Darumaya couple had gotten her for her birthday. It was a pretty pale blue and had butterflies around the hem. It reminded of her of that little clearing where she had made that secret friendship so many years ago. Kyoko sighed, running a towel through her hair, oh how she wished to see her fairy friend again. She just knew Corn would have had some advice that would erase all of her troubles, and make her smile again.

A knock sounded at the door.

The golden-eyed teen tilted her head in confusion and glanced up at the clock. Who on earth would be knocking on the door at nine 'o'clock at night?

Deciding the Darumaya couple had probably forgotten something on their trip to the hospital, Kyoko went to answer the door. However, instead of being greeted by the sight of an elderly wrinkled face, she was instead greeted by a very tall, young Tsuraga-san.

The pair of them froze in shock at the sight before them.

Ren had been at the end of his tether through most of the evening. At first having to suffer through an unnecessary meeting with his new director and then discovering that, by the time he'd left the aforementioned meeting, all the phone stores had closed for the evening. It had been one thing after another. Eventually he'd said goodnight to his deeply apologetic manager, and decided to just head to the Darumaya, hoping he could explain himself and that Kyoko hadn't worked herself up into too much of a state.

And then he'd seen her in her pyjamas, her hair damp and smelling like she'd just come out from rolling around in a rose garden. From that moment his mind seemed to have vacated the premises.

This didn't help Kyoko's opinion that he was disgusted with her. Only now she'd started panicking that he was going to publicly (sort-of) denounce her.

Then she realised Tsuraga Ren was seeing her in her pyjamas and she nearly died right on the spot. If it had been possible to die of shame, Kyoko believed she would not have lasted very long on this Earth.

Ren coughed awkwardly, holding up a hand to his mouth and trying to hide the heat rushing to his cheeks. 'Forgive me for interrupting your evening.'

Kyoko couldn't contain herself any more.

'I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I should have waited for you to teach me how to flirt properly, instead I was a poor student, I didn't follow instructions. Please forgive me!'

Ren's eyes widened and he immediately forgot about the pyjama embarrassment, placing his hand on Kyoko's shoulder without thinking. 'Kyoko, it's ok. Really I didn't mean to upset you, and if anything I was...proud of the way you showed initiative. Yes. A good actor is one whom doesn't always necessarily follow instructions blindly. Remember when you took Mio's wig and cut it to make the role your own?'

Kyoko stopped fretting, neither of them noticed he'd called her so informally, and she leaned into his grasp subconsciously. 'Really? So you aren't angry with me?'

Ren chuckled. He had to. She was just so adorable. 'No. No I'm not angry.'

'So, why didn't you message me back?' She replied and there was that pout again and he almost, almost, lost all control.

'Yashiro accidentally broke my phone, and the shops closed before I could get a replacement. I'm sorry for making you worry. It won't happen again. I will always carry a spare phone with me.' He grinned and Kyoko felt her mood instantly lifted. It was strange, quite akin to the feeling she used to get when she held her Corn stone although recently the stone hadn't been as effective at alleviating her mood.

A chill suddenly blew through the doorway and Kyoko shuddered, pulling her kimono tighter around her chest. Ren, God help him, could help but let his eyes wander. But just for a second- only a second.

'Well, it's late. I should get going. I'm sorry for disrupting your evening.' Ren said, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

'No, it's fine. Thank you for taking your time out to explain the situation to me, you didn't have to trouble yourself-'

'How could I have let you worry all night?' Ren said before he could stop himself and the pair stood in silence for a few moments. Kyoko gazed up at him with large round eyes, suddenly feeling a glimmer of something. She wasn't quite sure what it was, but it made her nervous.

'Well...um...thank you anyway.' Kyoko mumbled shyly, suddenly finding her slippers fascinating. They both stumbled through their awkward goodnights and retired to their bedroom and car respectively, both of them heaving deep sighs for reasons that escaped them.

On the way back to his apartment Ren had an epiphany. Perhaps these lessons, especially if this last lesson was anything to go by, would teach him just as much as he was attempting to teach Kyoko.

He wondered what would come of it all.

For right in the deepest recesses of his heart, he also possessed a tiny glimmer of hope.

* * *

**The awkwardness continues! But it won't always be awkward, trust me :) Reviews are love as always! :D They really do motivate and inspire me! **

**Til next time! Xx**

**P.S: in a couple of reviews I've noticed some people pointing out that I don't use normal speech marks (") for speech, instead I use inverted commas. This is a bad fanfiction writing habit I've picked up, as for some strange reason it makes me type faster. If it really bothers people then I can change it, if not- well then I guess everyone's happy cause it means I upload the chapter more quickly! :D Let me know guys!**


	4. Chapter 4

**And I'm back after being gone for a week and a half! Am very sorry but life suddenly got very hectic :D I had two birthdays over the course of a weekend and a best friend who had laser eye surgery so had to sort out all the presents and put my nursing skills to the test. But everything's fine and I've made up for the slight delay with the longest chapter yet- so I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter Four

Kyoko stood before the rack of magazines with shivering hands. The rest of her body, on the other hand, seemed to have frozen. But she would do this, she had to do it. It was research. She was still pure Kyoko and this was just for a role. It wasn't even that big of a deal anyway.

So why did she feel like throwing up a little?

It was a Sunday- a much needed day off after so many days of shooting Box-R's intense scenes- but Kyoko felt restless. The Darumaya wasn't open today either, as the Taisho couple were visiting the hospital again. Kyoko had slept in but had decided at breakfast to have a walk around town, people watch perhaps, and maybe buy some lunch. She had thought about messaging Chiori and Moko-san, however she remembered that both of them were busy. That was fine though, Kyoko was used to being on her own. As a child she had spent most of her days alone, playing pretend games with imaginary friends or going out to explore, and she was very much an advocate of the phrase _'being alone doesn't equal loneliness'_.

As she had walked the streets, casually sipping a sweet tea, she noticed a health and beauty store selling the latest line of fashionable makeup at fifty percent off for one weekend only. Her heart had swelled. She hadn't been able to resist the pull, stepping inside to get a better look at the objects of her hopes and dreams. The makeup was flower-themed and Kyoko had had a wonderful time looking at the colours of the lipsticks and their names. Honeysuckle was a sweet little pink lipstick; Bluebell was a light violet, Lily a deep pink.

Then she had spotted the Rose lipstick. The deepest and most beautiful red, the colour of Sleeping Beauty's lips, and Kyoko had immediately thought that Yui- her new character- would have lips like that. Her imagination had spiralled from that point until she felt that she _had_ to buy the lipstick. She felt she needed it to become Yui. Yui would have bought the lipstick if she'd seen it. She decided, as it was on sale, that she was allowed to buy something like that. It wasn't for her but for her job after all. So she had picked up one for herself, making her way over to the pay point.

It was then that she had seen the rack of womens magazines. Right at the entrance to the pay point, where they would have garnered the most attention. On any normal day Kyoko would have breezed past them without a second thought but at that moment, the headlines on one magazine caught her eye:

'_50 tips to flirt your way through anything!_

_Look Sexy AND classy? Yes you can!_

_First date fears? How to get back out there.'_

Kyoko debated furiously with herself. She didn't want to waste money on something she would never read again. But on the other hand she couldn't expect Tsuraga-san to teach her EVERYTHING there was to know about flirting, he had his own life, his own career. He was too busy to help her at every waking moment. She wondered if her character would have ever read one of these magazines. Kyoko frowned, her first thought was that most smart women were capable, and didn't need magazines such as the one before her. One the other hand she'd seen many business types and even fellow actresses reading such magazines- usually when on their break. Perhaps it was relaxing, reading something that didn't require you to think too much, whilst picking up useful tips here and there...

'Are you going to line up dear?' An older woman stopped behind her with a smile, pulling her out of her reverie.

'Oh- ah- yes. Sorry.' Kyoko stammered, and before she knew what she was doing she had picked up the magazine and made her way over to the nearest available cashier.

After all, Tsuraga-san had been impressed with her showing initiative. Kyoko smiled confidently to herself. She hoped to continue that trend.

* * *

The few days after the texting incident, Yashiro had been absolutely relentless in teasing Ren. He hadn't even needed to talk, just sat there with such a goofy expression of glee on his face that Ren wasn't sure if his manager had suffered some sort of brain injury from the _'excitement'_ of it all.

Well if Yashiro hadn't suffered a brain injury, he was heading towards one if he didn't wipe that stupid grin off of his face. Ren's grip on the steering wheel tightened as he reigned in his Kuon-esque anger. The worst part was whenever he had run into Kyoko in Yashiro's presence. He could literally _feel_ the vibrations coming off of his manager in his attempt to keep his mouth shut. Yes, Ren had been very firm on that. Yashiro wasn't supposed to know about the flirt-coaching. If Kyoko found out that he knew...Ren didn't even want to think about what would happen.

Yashiro was currently wearing that damned grin in the backseat of the car, whilst Kyoko rode up front with him. He'd surprised her with his fixed phone, calling her to ask if she was free for the evening as he was. It turned out they'd both had a free day, and Ren cursed himself for not calling her sooner. He could have spent all day with her. But he supposed, like all other aspects of his relationship with the Marigold-topped actress, he would just have to accept what the gods gave him and be happy with it.

He took a sideways glance at the young girl in the passenger seat beside him, staying perfectly quiet and watching the world go by. He could tell she was lost in thought, her elbow rested on the door handle and her hand across her mouth. He fought down a different kind of urge- the urge to just simply reach down and give her knee a reassuring squeeze. But he suspected his manager's brain would explode from fan girl happiness if he gave into that particular want. That, among the other more obvious reasons, kept his hand firmly on the steering wheel and his eyes fixed onto the road until he'd dropped Yashiro off and they made their way to his apartment. Perhaps it was nerves keeping him silent, perhaps it was anticipation. Either way Kyoko seemed to sense that his mood wasn't entirely relaxed. As a result she seemed to keep quiet herself and the whole scenario seemed very awkward.

'It would probably be best if we ordered takeout tonight, we have a lot of ground to cover and it wouldn't exactly help if you were stuck in the kitchen for half of the night.' Ren said, finally breaking the silence as they stepped into his apartment. 'I know a place that does slightly healthier takeout, it's not greasy at all. My treat, seeing as you cooked last time-'

Ren stopped right in his tracks, just as he'd turned to see Kyoko taking off her jacket. His breath hitched and he was immediately thankful he hadn't seen what she'd looked like whilst driving- because the car might have careened off the road.

She was wearing one of her corsets from the time she'd played Setsu, but she had paired it with one of her own peasant-style skirts. The clash of styles, sweet and sexy, somehow made it just that more tempting for him. It was somehow bold and yet understated. The low-cut style of the corset bared the gentle slope of her cleavage to him, her graceful shoulders and neck caught the light. The light lace of her skirt gave a faint outline of her slim legs. Desire to pull her to him, to explore every inch of that beautiful body, clouded his mind and his mind went blank to all else.

Kyoko shifted under the suddenly intense gaze of her Sempai. She saw something in his eyes, but was slightly unsure of what it was. Judgement? Disapproval? No, it didn't seem negative. And yet it made her very nervous. She had decided to implement some, not all, of the tips she had read in the magazine earlier- if only to test the water a little. She felt she hadn't quite earned the right to put on the Rose lipstick yet though.

Kyoko wondered if she should tell Tsuraga-san about her research, but perhaps if he were aware it would make his reactions less genuine. Besides, she was a little bit embarrassed. Some of the tips were far too forward for her liking and she didn't want him thinking she was going to anything like jump in his lap (which was part of '_flirting tip number 37: if all else fails- just go for it...')._

'Thank you for the offer. It's very kind of you. You don't have to though. I'm sure I could cook something quickly.' She smiled shyly up at him through her lashes, hoping to move past this odd exchange. She reasoned it would seem strange to him, to see her suddenly dressed in one of Setsu's tops whilst out of character.

'_Flirting Tip 11: If a man offers to pay for your meal, and is genuine about the offer, never protest too much. He wants to either show off, or just treat you to make you happy. To deny him that chance when he's offered could hurt his pride. It's ok to protest a little, but do it gently and let him know his gesture is appreciated. Remember tip 1! A smile does go a long way.'_

Well it seemed to do the trick of getting Ren to stop gawking at the poor girl like he was a dog and she a piece of meat. He turned away from her to hide the redness creeping up in his face and to calm himself down a bit, using the gesture of finding the take out menu to cover this. He immediately denied her offer and insisted that tonight he was treating her, and they set about ordering their meal. Ren kept his eyes firmly off of her cleavage whilst she reached up to grab glasses and help him set the table and eventually they settled into a comfortable routine. They discussed the benefits of days off, and what they would like to do if they had each had a more extended amount of time away from work. Ren said that he would like to fly out to Hawaii and just relax on a beach for days, perhaps even sleeping under the stars. Kyoko admitted that one day she would like to go to Italy, as she loved the look of the old towns with the cobbled streets and the houses with the flower boxes.

'Did you know in Verona, people write the names of their lovers underneath a balcony that is said to be Juliet's balcony from the Shakespeare play?' Ren stated after a mouthful of grilled salmon onigiri. Kyoko frowned.

'Why would people want to do that? Didn't Romeo and Juliet die at the end of the play?' She asked playing with some of the noodles on her plate whilst she thought about it. Ren chuckled at her logical response. The girl had such a clashing nature. Sometimes she could be swept away by the fantasy- although that was mostly if it was fairytale influenced. However sometimes the LoveMe side of her would flare up and she'd ask a question like that. For some odd reason it made him happy. Kyoko could never be called predictable.

'Yes I suppose when you put it like that it does seem strange. But think about the sacrifices Romeo and Juliet made to be together, even as far as the ultimate sacrifice. I suppose people believe writing the name of the one they love symbolises their devotion to their relationship.' Ren said and the pair fell into a thoughtful silence.

Kyoko didn't know what possessed her to ask, but the words flew out of her mouth before she could stop them-

'So, would you write anyone's name down?'

Ren nearly choked on his Miso.

'_Flirting tip 22: Catch them off guard: If a man is telling you an anecdote, catch him off guard with an unexpected and daring question/statement. One of our readers, Sakura, tells us her story. "On our first date, my boyfriend- a fireman- told me a story of his training. After he'd finished I said something really cheesy- along the lines of him having to be an exceptionally good identifier of all things hot. He was surprised for a second but he grinned and replied that he was also an expert of things that were smoking and we laughed for about ten minutes over how silly it was. It helped ease the first-date tension and I think it really helped show we were both attracted to each other." So there you go girls!'_

What on earth could she have meant asking that question? Ren looked at her face, growing more rapidly red, her eyes wide. She was embarrassed but holding firm. He wondered if her motive was to attempt to start flirting, if she was showing initiative again seeing as he praised her. He hoped that somewhere in the deep recesses of her closed off heart; she was attempting to see if he held a candle for her. But of course that was impossible.

_Definitely the most unpredictable girl I've ever met._

The longer Ren didn't answer the more Kyoko felt her resolve crumbling. This had been such a bad idea. She was sure she'd stunned him into silence with her forwardness. Perhaps she was testing the waters too much, perhaps he thought her arrogant now. But she had been curious. Behind the facade of acting, she wondered if he would ever tell her (out of the Bo-suit anyway) about the high school girl he had loved. She wondered if he still loved her. Her hands shook slightly and suddenly she felt an intense hatred for that stupid magazine. She was going to burn it the second she got home. Deep in her fantasies of burning the magazine to ashes whilst it begged for mercy, Kyoko didn't notice the expression on her beloved Sempai's face change until he finally responded- in a voice as silky smooth as luxury ice cream.

'Why, would you be jealous if I did?'

He wasn't quite the Emperor of the night, but he was very close to it. His dark hair fell into his eyes as he tilted his head with a mixture of curiosity and amusement. His hand rested on the side of his head and his smirk was one of playful seduction. Kyoko's legs shivered and she found herself lucky to be sitting down.

But it wasn't the flirting look he was giving her. No. It was his question that was really causing her trouble.

Would she be jealous if he was in love with another woman? Kyoko liked to think she wasn't the jealous type. She wasn't stupid, she was aware her feelings towards the man sitting across from her had grown far beyond that of simply Sempai-Kohai and even past friendship. She was attracted to him; she was drawn to his personality. She enjoyed spending time with him and he made her feel safe and welcome. But she couldn't let those feelings spiral, she had to keep them under control or risk everything she'd gained. It was difficult. Especially when he looked at her the way he was now.

_It's just acting Kyoko, it doesn't mean anything._

But what if he was still in love with that high school girl? What if she was like one of the girls that used to have a crush on Sho back in middle school? Kyoko couldn't see any girlfriend being comfortable with Kyoko spending so much time at Tsuraga-san's apartment. Regardless of how innocent it truly was. Things would change, she was sure of it; she wouldn't be able to see him. The phone calls and messages would stop; his imparting of wisdom would be a thing of the past. They would continue their lives without each other...

And suddenly Kyoko didn't feel jealous. Instead she felt like the world was crumbling around her.

'Kyoko?' She snapped her eyes back up to Ren, who called out her name and no longer looked like he could seduce women with a single glance. No, now he was looking her with a mixture of concern and confusion. 'Are you alright?'

Her heartbeat quickened and she wrestled to find any sort of viable excuse for her peculiar behaviour. She put on a sheepish smile, one that Ren could see through the second it stretched on her face.

'Sorry. I guess I was just lost in thought. Flirting...it's all very new to me, and I guess I haven't gotten the hang of playfully flirting. I don't really know how to respond to you, how to convey the coolness you'd expect from someone who was a natural at this.' She stammered out and it was the truth, just not the entire truth. Kyoko swallowed the guilty feeling inside when Ren gave her a look that suggested he knew there was more to it than that, but he wasn't going to press her for more. This surprised her- she'd expected the gentleman smile. Perhaps whatever he had made peace with during the Tragic Marker filming must have affected other aspects of his life too.

'Hmm...' Ren thought for a moment, stroking around his chin slightly in thought and leaning back in his chair. 'Well maybe we're going about this the wrong way. I think in order for things to feel more natural, you have to relax. We should probably start with the basics of flirting.'

'What do you mean?' Kyoko asked, tilting her head in confusion in an entirely charming way which caused Ren to force his mind to focus back on topic.

'It doesn't do to just say words and expect them to be conveyed in a flirtatious manner. Think about Mio and the way she holds herself tall and proud, think of Natsu with her catwalk model style of movement. Think of Setsu with her defiant, confident pose. As an actress, you do these movements and gestures naturally because they are part of the character and help convey their personality. In other words we need to start by addressing the body language of people when they flirt.'

Kyoko gulped 'Body language? Of people that flirt?' Her mind suddenly brought forward the more lewd images and diagrams she'd seen in that magazine earlier. She felt a panic attack coming on.

Ren nodded, standing up and offering her his hand.

'Body language.' He confirmed and she looked at his hand like it was growing snakes from the finger tips. Her eyes bulged wide and she looked up at him.

'Wait. Right now?!' She cried, failing to keep the squeak of fear from her voice as he took her hand and started guiding her out of the kitchen towards the living room. 'But- but dinner! And we- we have to tidy up. The dishes need cleaning!' She was aware she sounded like a complete idiot, but she'd rather be an idiot who still had SOME semblance of dignity left.

Ren turned to her and she'd never felt more like a trapped mouse in her entire life.

If he wasn't in Emperor of the Night mode before, he certainly was now.

'The dishes can wait.'

* * *

**I don't know why I enjoy embarassing my characters so much. Maybe it's because I think both Ren and Kyoko are so cute when they're flustered XD anyway- reviews are love! The feedback on this is so amazing, so keep going! I love hearing all your thoughts :D**

**Til the next time! Xx**


	5. Chapter 5

**Wow! Ok I know I've been gone a while. I'm really so very sorry about that, but you've all been so kind and patient with your reviews and follows (*insertsqueehere*). I just wanted to let you know that the reason I was away from updates wasn't because I'd forgotten about you. In the next year I'll be going back to university to do Post Graduate teacher training. Here in the UK you need to pass national teaching exams, called skills tests, in Maths and English- before you start your teacher training. So I was revising ridiculously hard for those, and I passed! :D **

**And if THAT wasn't punishment enough for me, I also took my driving theory test this morning (yes American readers- here in the UK we need to take an exam before we are allowed do our practical driving test- it's all about the rules of the road and hazard perception!) And luckily I passed that too! So there we have it, three major exams that affect my future. Two were on on the same day, then one was a week after that. **

**But enough on my ramblings- have another chapter! I hope you enjoy it :)**

* * *

Chapter 5.

_Ren what the hell are you doing?_

As he practically dragged the poor young girl out of the kitchen and into the living room, Ren had a startling realisation of just what he was about to do; or rather what he thought Kyoko was anticipating. The realisation was so startling, in fact, that it almost caused him to stop in his tracks. Still he kept his eyes forward and his hand firmly entwined with Kyoko's.

He was about to talk about body language with the woman whom he had loved for the past two years.

Sure he knew what to talk about; he knew what advice to give. But given the way he was feeling- he might as well have been attempting to give a lecture on physics to Isaac Newton. His heart would not calm down for anything; he was surprised his palms weren't sweating. He felt like a teenage boy in the first throes of love and that annoyed him more than anything. He was a grown man for goodness sake! He should have better control than this by now.

Then another thought occurred to him which nearly sent his brain into complete over-drive. The fact that he was rapidly losing control over his senses whenever he was around this girl. He didn't know if it was because he had fully embraced his past, or because of his growing love and frustration. Perhaps it was the culmination of all of these factors but, from forgetting that texting Kyoko could have been dangerous for both of their reputations- to now this sudden impulsive body language lesson, he couldn't help but feel that he was getting closer to losing the control he'd held onto for so long.

And that was very, very dangerous.

Kyoko, he knew, was still completely adamant against love. She fought it with every fibre of her being. He could see it in her eyes; the fear, the anger, the hurt that flared up the instant it was mentioned. And here he was putting her into a situation she clearly wasn't comfortable with- all because of his selfish impulses.

He truly loathed himself at times.

Kyoko watched Ren's back as he lead her towards the sofa and gestured her to sit down. If her mind could have been represented by any sound at the moment, it would be the sound of a stadium full of football fans, all arguing and cheering- blowing whistles and fighting amongst themselves. It was almost like an out of body experience. Either that or she was panicking so much that her soul was pre-emptively leaving her body. Probably because it knew she was about to suffer a massive aneurysm. Her teeny tiny body was not prepared for this onslaught of emotions and thoughts! It wasn't fair! How could Tsuraga-san stay so cool and calm all the time, when the slightest thing he did to her would send her over the edge? It. Just. Wasn't. FAIR! And he didn't even have feelings for her! What was the meaning of him acting this way?

_Because YOU asked HIM to train you how to flirt, baka- _a voice of reason calmly spoke out from the football stadium in her mind, somehow managing to be heard above all else. It was then that she had to admit that she was acting ridiculous. She had asked him to help her, and that was what he was doing. She needed to stop taking everything so personally. As she sat down in the spot that he gestured her to, she realised that asking flirting advice from the man you harboured forbidden, and horrendous feelings for (feelings you'd sworn to never have again), wasn't the most intelligent thing she had ever done.

She had placed herself in a very, very dangerous situation. But there was no way out. She _did_ need him. He was a top actor, he would help her and she so desperately needed help with this. She needed to be able to act out romance convincingly or risk her career. She would not be typecast into the bully role. She would be a top actress no matter what.

And yet, she glanced up through her eyelashes at the man sitting beside her, she couldn't help but feel scared. Being close to him, dressing to impress him, trying to catch him off guard, even if it was all acting- all practicing for a role- it was stirring something inside her, something she wanted to leave alone. She knew what it was, she was no fool. It was a need, a want; something that was not in her control, something that she had to take and give to someone so that they could nurture it for her. A tiny little rose that she had to trust to someone else, so fragile and delicate, but if they nurtured it, the rose would grow larger and more beautiful than anything in the world.

But she had trusted her feelings with someone else before, and that flower had withered and died under that mans neglect and misuse. How could she bring herself to risk such a fragile and delicate part of her for a second time? If _this_ flower died, she knew she would never recover.

And that was why it had to stay secret and safe, hidden away where nobody would ever be able to see it. She knew she couldn't nurture it that way, she knew that part of her would remain incomplete, she knew that she would be broken forever but she had to protect herself. For she knew that, even if she were willing to give that part of herself to the man she harboured these feelings for, he would never accept them. How could he accept them? He was completely out of her reach.

_First it was Sho, who believed that I was unworthy of him- who believed I was nothing more than a maid. And now it is Tsuraga-san, a man who's talent, spirit and looks are so above mine that he might as well be above the clouds for as much as I can reach him. Why does this happen to me? Why do I unwittingly feel things for people who would not give me a second glance? Is it my fault? Was I always like this? Have I always been so broken? Is it really love that I should hate or is it myself?_

'Kyoko?' Ren's voice was faint, and she felt lost in a sea of her own doubts and fears. But his voice started pulling her back. She saw him looking at her with fear and worry in his eyes. It was then that she noticed the dampness on her cheeks, the tears blurring her eyes.

Ren moved closer to her on instinct, he had never seen her look that way before. She had looked so fragile. Like a china doll on the brink of falling to pieces. And he feared, more than anything, that it was his doing.

'I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to put you in a situation where you would feel uncomfortable at all. We can forget this completely. I'm sure there are other things we can do to prepare you for the role.' He looked at her, as she delicately wiped the tears from her face, and his heart broke a little. 'Please stop crying?' he wished his voice didn't sound so small, so pleading. He wanted to be her strength, her comfort from whatever she was feeling. Just as he was about to continue reassuring her that this was all just a stupid mistake- she spoke up.

'I'm sorry. I just think I'm getting to grips with what my character would be feeling. When you suggested body language, it made me think of how Yui would react to having emotions of love, or thoughts of being that way another man for the first time since she was left at the altar.' It was a lie, but as she said it, the words became true. Perhaps she did have more in common with her new character than she thought. At least for the first part of her character arc anyway. 'I imagine that she would feel very conflicted, and scared. I got lost in the feeling. I'm sorry.' Kyoko looked up and met Ren's eyes with full sincerity and determination. 'I didn't mean to make you worry. I'm ready for the lesson now.'

Ren looked at her back and the pair stayed silent for a few moments. He knew she wasn't being entirely honest with him. She'd been doing that quite a bit recently, and he wondered if this role was to her, what Katsuki and Black Jack were to him? He wanted to ask her more, he didn't want her to suppress the emotions. He wanted to help. But he knew all too well, the feelings of inner conflict arising from past experiences. Unfortunately that meant that he also knew there was little he could do, except be by her side and offer her comfort and support to the best of his ability. Even if it was from afar, he would do his very best. She had been his good luck charm and now- if she needed it- he would be the same for her.

'Ok.' He said, nodding and taking a deep breath. He reached up and scratched the back of his head. 'I suppose the first thing to think about is letting yourself be at ease. In order to make playful flirting believable, you have to be relaxed. When you are nervous, you close off and that will alienate people from your acting. You know all of this from your acting lessons I'm presuming?'

Kyoko nodded her head and Ren shifted a little so that he was slightly slouched down the sofa, and he lifted one leg up and rested in on the coffee table. His arms lounged lazily over the back of the chair.

'You see now I'm in my own apartment, I'm relaxed. I'm around people I can trust, who I feel safe with.' He locked eyes with Kyoko for a moment and then carried on. 'As a result I feel comfortable and it's more believable that I would flirt playfully with somebody when I'm like this, as opposed to being somewhere where I have to maintain a professional manner.'

Kyoko began processing this. It was true that when Yui and her love interest met for the first time, he is visiting her apartment to interview her as a potential suspect in the case against her ex-fiancée, and sparks immediately begin to fly. But the conflict in that scene arises from Takumi fighting his attraction to her against his professional manner.

'Are you comfortable here with me, Kyoko?'

She snapped out of her musings when he asked her that. Her breath caught, and it was with the sudden realisation that he had used her first name, just her first name. Since when had he been doing that? How had she only just noticed? Why did her name seem so comfortable on his lips, and why did she want to hear it again?

She gulped, and nodded slowly. 'Yes. Of course I am.'

He breathed a sigh of relief which lead to more questions forming in her mind. Why would he be relieved that she was comfortable with him?

The Rose in her poor, broken heart began to grow in the tiny ray of hope that suddenly shone through.

_No! No this can't be- this can't be right. I must be misreading. There's something I'm not understanding. He's in love with someone else, that high school girl._

'Take my hand?'

Kyoko's eyes practically bulged out of her head. 'Pardon me?'

'If you truly feel comfortable around me, being here with me, the way your character would feel with her love interest- then you would be able to hold my hand. Just sit here with me, hold my hand, and we'll watch TV. We'll relax. We'll talk. There's no pressure.' He reassured her. 'I promise that is all I mean from this body language lesson. It's practicing letting yourself be relaxed and carefree with someone else. If you feel too uncomfortable at any point, we'll stop. We don't even have to start, it's up to you.'

And with that, Ren lifted his hand out to Kyoko- not letting his face give away that, though he may be offering her his hand, she had his hopes in the palm of hers. He knew he shouldn't be feeling that way, this was supposed to be an acting lesson and nothing more than that.

But it was. It was so much more than that. And that was entirely his fault.

Kyoko stared at his hand like she was caught between the devil and the deep blue sea. In some ways she truly was. If she didn't take his hand, she could risk everything. If she _did_ take his hand, she could risk everything. She didn't know what to do. She had fought so hard to protect herself from feeling for this man... Logically she wondered why holding his hand this time, was different from just moments ago? Deep down inside she knew the answer.

Despite the fact that she had fought her feelings, that tiny ray of hope refused to die, and she hated herself for that. But more than that she hated admitting that she was no longer in control of her own feelings. The thought terrified her. This was trouble, this was dangerous, and her heart wouldn't recover if he rejected her...

But he wasn't rejecting her. He hadn't ever rejected her before. In fact he was sitting right next to her, offering her his hand and going above and beyond to help a lowly kohai like her, even on one of his rare days off. She thought about wondering why that was; why he had always been there for her, but then thought it best to not dwell on it. She didn't want to ruin something she had been blessed with by accidentally crushing it under the weight of a microscope.

No, she would push her selfish wants and needs to one side- they didn't matter anyway, because no matter what happened she knew they would never be fulfilled- and she would do whatever it took to raise herself to a level of acting that could match Tsuraga-san's, but more importantly a level that she herself would be proud of.

So she stared down the barrel of the gun, and placed her hand in his.

* * *

**Lots and lots of development here. Both of them internalized a lot, and in such a short space of time! Could it be that something is finally happening with these two? It's funny how this started off so silly, but got so serious. But I feel like, despite the fun concept, in order it to be realistic- Kyoko has to face her issues. And that does come with a bit of angst. But I hope you can forgive me for that XD it's all for love!**

**Speaking of love- reviews are just that! What do you think of the more serious chapter? Let me know! :D**


	6. Chapter 6

**And I'm back! I know this chapter is slightly smaller than the others, but it serves as an interlude for the second part of this story. That doesn't mean this is a filler chapter, it's a little bit of fluff seeing as the last chapter was a bit on the angst-y side. It's setting up something later on- you'll see ;) Anyway hope you all enjoy it!**

* * *

Chapter Six

"We're shooting the season finale tomorrow" Kyoko replied as she entered the Darumaya, trying her best to balance whilst she took off her shoes. She settled for resting the phone between her ear and shoulder, freeing up her hand so that she could undo the straps.

"_Ah, I see."_ Ren's deep voice came through the speaker. _"So will there be a season two, or is that a wrap?"_

Kyoko almost topped over and had to grab the coat rack to stabilize herself, luckily the phone remained in place so she didn't have an embarrassing situation to explain. At least her shoes were off. "It's the series finale, Box-R was popular but I think everyone is ready to move on now. Even the characters are almost done with their story arcs."

"_So tomorrow will be your last day as Natsu then?" _Leave it to Ren to get to the point quickly. Kyoko cringed slightly. _"How do you feel?"_

Kyoko stalled on the staircase, twirling her fingers in her hair. Truth be told it was a tricky question; she wasn't entirely sure how to feel. Okami-san interrupted her thoughts when she attempted to get past. After a few minutes of fumbling and apologies (so much for avoiding embarrassment) Kyoko was able continue the conversation within the confines of her bedroom.

"Um... well I suppose it's a bit of a relief. I've done my job and I'm pleased with the outcome, I've kept up the standards of an actress at my level. I feel like I've done the character justice and it will be nice that my next role isn't a bullying role..." She trailed off, playing with the Daruma doll- tipping it over and watching it upright itself. She smiled at the brief distraction before her conflicting thoughts returned, as did the slight frown.

"_Buuut..." _Ren encouraged.

"But...But...But I'm going to miss her!" Kyoko cried loudly, punching her fist onto her little desk and startling the Daruma doll so that it toppled over again (this went unnoticed to her- as it once again righted itself). "I don't know how to feel about that, Natsu was such a bully, she was cruel and sadistic and an antagonist and I am going to actually _miss_ her! What does that say about my own personality? How awful a person must I be to miss playing someone who treats others in such a cruel manner?! It's despicable!"

And just as she was prepared for Ren to admonish her for her foolish thoughts, he instead did something that completely floored her. He laughed.

"Is there something funny about this scenario which I'm missing Tsuraga-san?" Kyoko sulked, a pout forming on her dainty chin. She would have crossed her arms also, but she would have dropped the phone. Something she was considering if her kept laughing at her.

"_I'm sorry"_ Ren chuckled trying to compose himself, he coughed and continued in a more composed manner _"I'm sorry Kyoko, I didn't mean to offend you. It's just that I understand how you feel. I felt the same way when Tragic Marker ended."_

Kyoko was so startled at this that she actually did drop her phone, once again fumbling with it and offering quick apologies; she spluttered "But Black Jack was a murderous villain, he was evil!"

"_Yes and he also helped me a lot" _Ren explained _"with lots of things, but one thing he did in particular was help me broaden my skills as an actor"_

"You don't need to broaden your skills Tsuraga-san" Kyoko chided softly, the words coming instinctively "you're already the top actor in Japan, nobody else comes close."

There was a long silence on the phone on Ren's side, so long in fact that Kyoko pulled her ear away from the speaker to check that the call hadn't disconnected. Eventually when he did speak it was a slightly strangled sounding _"Thank you...that means a lot, coming from you."_

Now it was Kyoko's turn to be silent. However despite the fact that nothing came out of her mouth, her mind was a flood of thoughts, and her heart hammered on her chest so hard that she was sure Ren would be able to hear it through the phone. Why would he say such a thing? Why would he single her out as special?

_Of course!_ Kyoko concluded. _It must be another flirting lesson, learning to take a man's special attention. Tsuraga-san is such a good Sempai, leaving me to figure that out for myself!_

She beamed at her logical explanation and replied cheerfully "You're very welcome Tsuraga-san; I wouldn't say something like that if I didn't mean it! But anyway- I suppose I understand what you mean. Just because a character is devious, doesn't mean you can't learn something from them. In all honesty though, I think I'm also going to miss Natsu's style. She was very fashionable, a true lady of wealth." She trailed off, thinking of all the outfits and the makeup that she would miss. It would get lonely without their magic.

"_I think in that case it's best to look ahead, think of your next role and other roles to come, who knows what possibilities await you in the future? Speaking of which, the President invited me to a party at the Hotel Okura tomorrow, would that by chance be the Box-R wrap up party?"_

Kyoko nodded, forgetting that he couldn't see for a split second. "Yes actually although it wasn't meant to be a grand party, I believe it started off as a meal at a nice restaurant, but the President heard this and he's turned it into a larger scale one as expected."

"_I'm sure he had his reasons as to why."_ Ren replied and Kyoko couldn't help but notice the tone of suspicion in his voice. _"So do you have an escort to the party?"_

Kyoko blushed and replied shyly. "No. Although Mo- I mean Kanae-san has agreed to go shopping with me tomorrow to help me find a dress. We found out that it was going to be a party very last minute, and I realised I had nothing to wear."

"_You don't have any dresses?"_ Ren replied and she could practically _hear_ his raised eyebrow.

"Well I do, but didn't you hear the party is a masquerade one? The President says we have to go in disguise and the last person to be discovered wins some sort of prize, there is also a prize for the most outstanding or opulent costume. So Kanae-san and I are going to go and buy masks and see if we can find any period outfits for hire."

Tsuraga-san was once again quiet for quite some time, which made Kyoko nervous and she wasn't quite sure why. There was no logical reason for her to feel nervous, and yet she did.

"Tsuraga-san?" She inquired nervously.

_"Forgive me, Kyoko, I was lost in thought"_ he replied and Kyoko breathed out a sigh of relief. _"I was going to ask if you wanted picking up for the party tomorrow night but, instead I have an idea. That is providing you can find a safe way of getting to the party? I will drop you off home at the end of the evening of course."_

"You don't have to do that; I can find my own way safely both to and from the party." She was going to continue her protest, until she remembered the tips from her magazine _Flirting tip 21. A man who is willing to escort you to different places is a true gentleman, and a gentleman expects a lady. So act with grace!_ "But that's very kind, of course I will accept. What was your idea?"

* * *

"Well, it's as you said, the idea of a masquerade party is to try and figure out who is who" Ren said as he looked out of his apartment window at the ever-darkening horizon. The idea was absurd, and he wasn't sure she'd go along with it. But things had changed since that night a week ago, the night they'd spent holding hands, laughing at funny sitcoms and talking about nothing of importance until two in the morning, when he'd finally had to drag himself back to reality and take her home. He'd had a taste of what it would be like to actually be with her, and it made him ache inside. He knew it was stupid, he knew that it was one thing he had to get used to never getting, but damn it he _did_ want it. Now more than ever.

And even if he couldn't be with her fully, he'd use the time spent helping her with this role to the fullest extent. He'd lose himself in the fantasy because really that was all he had. It made him feel pathetic, but it was the truth. He was a drowning man grasping for air bubbles.

"I suggest we play a little game, as part of your flirt coaching." He explained, his heart pounding painfully against his chest "you have to find me at the party and, if you think you've found me, you have to say something flirtatious to me."

There was a long pause, Ren couldn't help but notice that there had been quite a few of those in this conversation, before Kyoko stammered out a response.

"_B-but Tsuraga-san, what if I flirt with someone else by accident?"_

The thought had occurred to him and he hated the idea of her flirting with another man, but at the same time the risk far outweighed the reward for what he had in mind if she succeeded.

"I guess I underestimated your abilities to spot me in a crowd. I thought you would have known me better than that by now." He heaved a heavy sigh, and it wasn't completely dishonest. He was quite disappointed that she doubted herself.

"_I- I suppose you're right, I mean I have spent a lot of time with you"_ She trailed off, murmuring something about his proportions and how tall he was, and Ren couldn't help but feel a swell of happiness that she'd taken such notice of him. _"I'm sure I could find you. But I won't f-flirt with you until I'm absolutely sure."_

"I don't expect anything less; I wouldn't want you flirting with anyone after all." He replied and hoped she'd get his meaning, just this once, just this one time.

"_No I wouldn't want to embarrass you like I did at the Dark Moon party, nor would I want to give anyone a false impression of my intent. That could get rather awkward."_

Ren hung his head in his hands wishing, for the millionth time, that things could be just a little bit simpler. Alas nothing ever was with the girl he loved. It was just the way things were and he'd better accept it.

"_But...Tsuraga-san?"_ Kyoko's voice suddenly sounded so small that Ren grew worried. Was she going to back out of the plan?

"Yes?" He replied with a degree of trepidation.

"_You have women flirting with you all the time, I'm sure it will be no different at this party. If a woman...came up to you...and- and started flirting. If it wasn't me...would you flirt back?"_

Just as he had begun losing hope, once more hope shone a glorious ray of light onto him. His soul lightened. Maybe, just maybe, she'd begun to feel something for him? Maybe she was, dare he even think it, worried that he'd focus his attentions on another woman?

"Kyoko" He said in his most gentle, sincere, and yet serious voice "I promise you there is no way that I would flirt with a woman unless I absolutely knew it was you."

* * *

**OOOOH the plot, and the romance, thickens. So what do you think will happen? Do you think Kyoko will find Ren? What does he have planned if she succeeds? Let me know what you think by reviewing ;) I'm interested to hear your opinions!**

**Until the next time!**


	7. Chapter 7

**I swear to God this story started out as a funny one-shot, but I find that I can never do short stories like that because I always enjoy creating worlds for these characters and watching them grow and that always takes more than one chapter XD That being said I had to split this into two chapters because it was running long. So the title of this chapter would be something like "the Prelude to the Ball" **

**Once again thanks so much for the amazing feedback! Hope you enjoy it!**

* * *

Chapter Seven

"No good" Kyoko's lower lip trembled. "It's no good"

"We haven't been to every store yet! Get up already!" Kanae growled, trying to pull her friend up from the depths of her despair. She would have had an easier time if she were fighting, single-handed, against the armies of Alexander the Great. "It was your idea to come shopping and it's not even closing time yet! You can't give up after only a couple of hours. I don't like shopping either but shouldn't you show some sort of stamina, as a woman? I thought you were stronger than this!"

"Moko-saaaan" Kyoko wailed and Kanae couldn't help but wrinkle her nose in disgust at how pathetically puppy-like she looked in that moment. "I'm so tired and we haven't been able to find anything in my price range!"

Kanae hated puppies. They were so needy and clingy and they stole so much of your energy, that's why she'd never let any of her brothers and sisters have one. No matter how much they begged. Still, she supposed no matter how much she admonished her best friends behaviour, Kyoko wouldn't snap out of it. So she swallowed her impatience (which took no small effort) and decided to take an approach that was more Kyoko-friendly.

"So will you give up? Go to the ball in rags like a Cinderella who has no fairy Godmother?" She stood over her best friend, crossing her arms and giving her best challenging facial expression.

Kyoko burst into tears.

"YOU'RE RIGHT! YOU'RE RIGHT MOKO-SAN! WHAT MUST I BE THINKING? THIS IS THE REAL WORLD! THERE'S NO COSTUME OR MAKEUP DEPARTMENT! OUT HERE I'M JUST PLAIN OLD KYOKO"

One would think that Kotonami Kanae would be used to such outbursts from her Love Me comrade, but she felt that it was something she would never get used to. _For someone, like me, who lacks that 'significant emotion', she sure is an emotional girl. _Kanae thought as she buried her head into her hand, trying to ignore the confused and shocked looks from passers-by. The next thing she knew she was dragging her friend off to the nearest ice cream parlour, practically throwing her into her seat and demanding that she not move, leaving a thoroughly confused Kyoko in her wake. Five minutes later she returned with the two largest hot-fudge sundaes they served. Kanae, with no small degree of relief, noticed that Kyoko had at least composed herself and started thanking her in earnest.

"You better enjoy eating this. This is a dire sacrifice on my part- to eat so much ice cream. But it will last a long time so we'll have time to talk. This _plain-old-Kyoko _business, what nonsense is this? I'm running out of patience with you. If you continue to think of yourself as plain and boring, then that's how the world will always see you."

Kyoko looked up at her best friend (mouth full of vanilla flavoured deliciousness) with tears still in the corners of her eyes "Moko-san..."

"It doesn't matter if you go to the party dressed in the most common of clothes, with a make –shift mask. It's about the aura which you project. If you think to yourself that you'll always be a commoner, then a commoner is all you will ever be seen as! That is why I, Kanae Kotonami, will never be confused as a person with a poor background; I was born to be a wealthy and much respected actress!"

Kyoko looked at her friend with admiration in her eyes, her previous troubles briefly forgotten. No matter what the situation, Kanae never ceased to amaze her. Her strong sense of work ethic and her belief in fighting for what she wants knew no bounds. Kanae truly was, in Kyoko's eyes, a young woman with a rich ladies spirit. It was inspiring to see.

"And you!" Kanae pointed at her and Kyoko instantly sat upright, as if she were being spoken to by a commanding officer. "You will go to that party tonight, regardless of if we find a dress or not, you're good at craftsmanship so you can easily make a beautiful mask, and you will go and show the world that YOU, Kyoko Mogami, are an actress of high calibre- one that was made to respected."

"YES! I will-" Kyoko saluted and then froze, the look on her face akin to sudden horrifying remembrance. Her features darkened and she looked down at the ground. Kanae's anger instantly dissipated and worry, as well as fear, took precedence.

"N- Now what this? What's the matter?"

"Moko-san" Kyoko murmured so darkly it seemed for a moment that she'd been possessed by a demon devoid of any happiness and Kanae leaned back in her chair, flinching.

"Aiie! What's with that way of talking? What the hell is going on in your brain?!"

Kyoko set down her spoon for a moment, frowning. Suddenly her face wasn't exaggerated into an expression of despair, darkness and death. The look on her face now scared Kanae more than anything she'd ever seen. It was a look of true sorrow, a look of confusion and pain.

"Even though I know I will have a mask on, and I will change my persona to one of an elegant young lady, I need to look different. Just for this one night, I have to make sure that I don't look like myself. I need to look completely different to Kyoko Mogami or he... Tsuruga-san...how will I..."

"What does Tsuruga-san have to do with it?" Kanae asked with a raised eyebrow, not entirely sure she wanted to know the answer. She was sure it would give her a headache. _Those two, they have such a weird relationship, has something happened between them?_

Kyoko froze; the exaggerated looks once more back on her face.

"AH! N- Nothing! I meant nothing. Really I say such stupid things that I don't mean!" Kyoko laughed a ridiculously fake and forced laugh which made Kanae frown with suspicion. "Let's just eat this wonderful ice cream that you bought me out of the kindness of your heart!" Kyoko then proceeded to shovel mouthfuls of the sundae into her mouth at such a fast rate that her hand started to blur.

"Wait stop if you do that-" Kanae cried out holding her hand up to wave for Kyoko's attention, but it was too late, Kyoko's head collapsed onto the little cafe table and she clutched it in pain. "-you'll get an ice cream headache..."

"Owwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww"

* * *

After getting some medicine to relieve Kyoko of her brain-freeze, the pair decided they'd had enough of shopping and, after buying a few materials needed to make a mask and add some embellishments to one of Kyoko's dresses to make it look more fantasy-based, they went back to the Darumaya for a rest. Kyoko hoped that they'd be able to get the outfit done on time. The party started at nine PM and she'd met up with Kanae immediately after she'd finished filming the final scenes for Box-R, so she only had a few hours to get completely ready.

Whilst they had time to themselves somewhere quiet, Kyoko also plucked up the courage to tell Kanae all that had been happening with the flirting lessons and her new drama.

"Ah I see, so it's like that is it?" Kanae stated after she'd revealed all.

Kyoko nodded sadly, attaching some jewels to the mask with her hot glue gun.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you about it before, but with everything happening with Box-R ending and then worrying about this new role, everything seemed to pile up and I was washed away by all of those events. Are you mad?"

Kanae rested an elbow on Kyoko's little bedroom table and put her hand on her cheek idly. "No, no I'm not mad. It's understandable; the world of showbiz can be like that. But there is something I don't understand. Why does it matter so much that Tsuruga-san doesn't recognise you? He said that he would only flirt unless he knew it was you. So why would you want to make it harder for him to notice you?"

Kyoko clenched the hot glue gun tighter and screwed up her face in concentration, trying to hide the fear that gripped her chest.

"_Kyoko...__I promise you there is no way that I would flirt with a woman unless I absolutely knew it was you."_

Why? Why would he have said that to her in such a sincere way? Why had she even asked about other women flirting with him? What did it matter? Tsuruga-san didn't ever flirt with other women; he was always kind and polite to them, nothing more. So why had it worried her so much? It was all too confusing. Her heart and mind were both hurting just thinking about it. But no matter how much she tried to deny it...

"Although I must say" Kanae continued trailing off into her own thoughts "the way he said that he wouldn't flirt with another, if he so earnestly believes that he would be able to spot you amongst all the others in disguise, isn't that a sign that Tsuruga-san lov-"

Kanae stopped, of rather was forced, to stop her sentence in its tracks- for Kyoko had thrown her hands across her mouth (dropping the hot glue gun in the process) to prevent her from saying more.

"Please! Please don't say another word. I beg of you, you must never finish that sentence. Because once it's out there- it makes it real. And what you were going to say, it cannot even be made a possibility. It's something that can never even be thought of."

Kyoko slowly removed her hands from Kanae's mouth and slunk back into a sitting position, picking up the hot glue gun subconsciously. Kanae watched her, her eyes widening with awe.

"Oh. I see. That's why you wish to trick him is it? You want to make him believe you're someone else so that you'll see him flirt and break his word. That way you'll be able to convince yourself that what you've been seeing with your own eyes isn't true. That's really stupid you know."

Kyoko looked up startled and noticed Kanae looking at her with a deep frown.

"I'm probably not the best person to talk to about this, but you know we're going to have to graduate from the Love Me section eventually. Isn't that the point of it? To regain the emotion that we've lost? You can't be scared of it forever."

There was a long silence where Kyoko seemed to process what Kanae was saying. Kanae watched her friend, the range of emotions that flickered across her face. It was always interesting to watch her thoughts processing. Eventually, however, Kanae got lost in her own thoughts.

_So it's come to this. I always thought Tsuruga-san harboured feelings that went beyond a Sempai-Kohai relationship. But Kyoko's feelings, how long have they been there? She hides them so well. That girl...she's going to be a remarkable actress._

"I just don't understand it. It can't possibly be true- there's no way. But, if it's a possibility, why me? He could have anyone he wanted. Why me?"

Kanae flicked the orange-tressed actress squarely on the forehead and Kyoko shrieked in shock, suddenly very much reminded of Hizuri-san. Kanae couldn't help but chuckle at the stupid look on her face, before settling into a more severe stare.

"Good. I see I've snapped you out of such thoughts. Firstly you don't give yourself enough credit and that really pisses me off so please stop with the self-deprecating thoughts. And secondly it's really not worth trying to guess the how's and why's of life." Kanae's expression softened and she smiled at Kyoko gently, her prideful mask removed just for a moment. "If the universe made sense, then the two of us- such different people on paper- couldn't possibly be friends. Yet here we are right?"

Kyoko could help but beam at that. "Right Moko-san. Of course! The best of friends!"

The two once again settled into a silence as they each disappeared into their thoughts. Kyoko concentrated on sewing beads onto the mask and setting it to dry before she moved on to embellishing one of her nicer dresses, although the while keeping track of the time.

"Now that I think about it, something else confuses me." Kanae begun before grumbling under her breath "and you know what? This is getting annoying; this is why I don't like getting involved in other people's problems. It's just headache-fodder."

"Um... Moko-san, what are you talking about?"

"I'm just thinking it's really weird that the President allowed you to accept this romance role. From what I remember, you told me that he didn't want Tsuruga-san to play Katsuki in Dark Moon because he believed him to be too inexperienced romantically- although I find that hard to believe. Didn't the President say anything about it to you?"

Kyoko shook her head. "No actually, although now that you mention it- it is strange- that he would be willing to allow a Love Me member perform a romance role in an upcoming drama. It's very odd."

Before they could muse on it further, a knock on the door jumped them out of their thoughts and before either of them could react, a small pretty woman, with large round eyes and doll-like curls, burst into the room. Both Kanae and Kyoko could only look up at the woman in shock, Kanae in confusion, Kyoko in baffled recognition.

"J-Jelly Woods-san?"

_What the hell kind of a name is that?! _Kanae thought staring between the two and feeling completely and utterly bewildered.

"Ah-ha! Kyoko-chan! That nice lady let me come up to visit you; she was super busy with customers though so she said she was sorry that she couldn't accompany me! So this is where you live?! It's so little and cute, just like you!" Jelly looked around the room with childlike awe, examining all the surroundings intensely and admiring under her breath. She noticed Kanae and immediate her eyes widened and she sat down right in front of her. Kanae scooched backwards, trying to get away from the incredibly hyperactive person in front of her. "This must be your friend Kanae Kotonami! I'm pleased to meet you! I'm Jelly Woods, I was Kyoko-chan's makeup artist for a role a while ago. Kyoko-chan has told me so much about you! You're so pretty!"

"T-t-thank you" Normally Kanae was able to keep her cool with people's compliments, but really she couldn't help but feel overwhelmed by the personality of the young woman before her.

"Jelly-san, I know this might seem rude to ask but, why did you come to see me?" Kyoko asked somewhat distantly, as if she couldn't believe that Jelly was really there, in her little bedroom.

Jelly perked up, her golden curled fluttered around her as she turned to face Kyoko. Her eyes glanced down the mask in Kyoko's hand and her brain seemed to click, or rather she remembered what exactly she was there for.

"My Darling sent me for you!"

"The President sent you?! Why?"

_Why? Why does she call the President 'Darling'?! That's weird! Why is the showbiz world full of people like this? It's exhausting. _Kanae shook her head in disbelief.

"Why? Isn't that obvious?" Jelly winked and pulled three bags over to her "I'm here to be your fairy godmother silly! I've got to make sure you're ready for the ball! Kanae-chan are you going too? Can I dress you?"

Kanae grimaced at her name being used with such a girly honorific but decided to quickly reply before Jelly got any ideas "actually I'm filming on location tomorrow so I'll be unable to attend."

Jelly looked almost heartbroken for a split second before brightening up and turning towards Kyoko, who seemed to be wearing a look that resembled a brain dead zombie.

"Jelly-san, why did the President send you here?" Kyoko asked and Jelly frowned.

"I already told you silly! I'm here to make sure you're ready for the Masquerade Ball tonight! And we don't have much time to prepare so come on! Let's get moving!" She said and began pulling things out of her bag at a rapid speed. Kanae took her chance once she spotted it.

"Well it seems as if you're busy and I don't want to interrupt anything! Let me know what happens Kyoko, and I'll see you when I get back from filming! Goodnight!" And before Kyoko could reply, she'd taken flight out of the room.

As Kanae walked home that evening, the sun low and golden, the streets of Tokyo loud and bustling as people commuted home after a long day of work, she was once again lost in a cloud of thoughts. Just what was going to happen with Tsuruga and her best friend? Deep down inside she felt a sense of worry. If Kyoko really did graduate the Love Me department- what would that mean of their friendship? She didn't want to think that she might lose Kyoko...

_Idiot! That's stupid!_ She thought, snapping herself out of such depressing go-nowhere thoughts with a violent shake of her head. _Although one thing I am most definitely certain of...that President. I'm sure he has an ulterior motive._

Just exactly what was the President up to?

* * *

**Ahhh I know, no Ren-Kyoko goodness in this chapter. But I felt that Kyoko seriously needed some girl time to make sense of things, and who better than Moko-san to deal a swift kick of reality-check? It's all about character development people! And just what exactly IS the President up to? Plot development too?! Say whaaat?!**

**By the way did I mention how much I love writing Kanae? I love writing all of these characters to be honest! **

**PPS: Next chapter will be the ball! I will work hard to make sure that it's my best writing, so please continue to support me! (God I'm starting to sound like Kyoko now) Reviews are love! Until the next time!**


	8. Chapter 8

**And I'm back! I can honestly say I loved writing this chapter, maybe even a little too much. What was, in fact going to be one long chapter has now ended up as two chapters. It was simply running too long. So I cut it in half. So many things a beginning to happen now guys- it's would be impossible to fit it all in to one chapter without it being incredibly rushed looking (and feeling).**  


**Well that's all from me! Let the ball commence! **

* * *

Chapter 8

The President of LME, Lory Takarada, was a man who loved love. He revelled in the feeling of recognising talented artists and polishing them so that they shone for the world to see and adore. He was first and foremost, a man who believed that good people deserved happiness, and he would do anything in his power to make sure that happiness was achieved.

Unfortunately some people had to accept things within themselves first- be it their past, a fear they must overcome, or even something in their own personality- before they could be truly happy. Lory often pondered the differences between one person's reactions compared to another- even if the circumstances were similar. The Love Me members, Maria-chan, and even the young man sat before him were all prime examples of this. They'd all had to deal with such harsh realities when they were so young, realities that even adults would find difficult to comprehend. In some ways it broke his heart that such kind-hearted people could be affected so. But he would endeavour to make things right, even if he had to take a side-line approach.

"Ren, of course this is completely your decision. But before you go ahead with it I need to know if you are absolutely sure that this is what you want?"

It was late afternoon and it would soon be time to get ready for the Box-R wrap up party. The setting sun streamed into the large windows of Lory's personal office, creating a heavenly glow around the already luxurious room. Lory leaned back in his chair, watching the young man closely, giving off the air that he was relaxed and casual- no matter how excited he was inwardly. Perhaps that was inappropriate, to be feeling excited when the boy was going through an emotional crisis, but Lory was never one to hold back when an opportunity for personal growth presented itself.

Ren sat on the edge of his seat, his forearms resting on his long legs, deep in thought. It wasn't as if he _hadn't_ struggled with this idea for a long time. Really from the moment he first realised she was his Kyoko-chan there had been an instinctive reaction, a tiny glimmer of the person he had been when he'd first met Kyoko, that need to greet his old friend. But that was in the split second before reality set in. There had been so many reasons to not reveal his true identity to her; to protect himself was one thing, the fear of her rejecting him for who he was now was another and- once he realised he loved her- the reasons not to tell her grew even as the need to tell her increased. It was a constant war with himself, one that he hid well until recently. His hands balled into fists as memories of the other night filled his mind.

"I've thought about it a lot recently, really there's not much else to say on the matter except that I'm absolutely sure. She has such faith in me, such trust. I feel that every day I hold back is a day that I betray that trust. Especially since her time with me as Setsu. She accepted so much of me already, without question, with blind faith. Regardless of what happens- she _deserves_ to know." He met the President's eyes and Lory saw such raw sincerity and passion in Ren's eyes that he almost dropped his relaxed facade. He didn't say anything, just watched and listened. The inner turmoil of this young man really knew no bounds at times, but he hoped this was the last of his growing pains.

Ren sighed, bowing his head and running his hands through his hair in a frustrated manner. No matter what happened, he just hoped she wasn't disappointed in him. He could handle confused or angry, but she held "Corn" on such a pedestal. To find out her fairy friend was really him? He shuddered, trying hard not to think of her reaction.

Lory, having seen more than enough to convince him, pulled his phone from his pocket and dialled number 3 on his speed dial. The phone barely rung once before a cheerful voice answered.

"_Darling! How are you?! I didn't expect to hear from you until the party! Shouldn't you be getting ready by now?" _Ren looked up when he heard the voice of Jelly Woods coming from the phone speaker.

"Ten-chan, and I'll be getting ready shortly but unfortunately I don't have long to talk. I must ask, is your mission for the day almost complete?" Lory pointedly ignored Ren's confused gaze.

"_Oh!" _Jelly, from years of practice, was able to determine that now was not the time to talk about her mission in detail, no matter how much she wanted to gush. _"Almost! Whhhy?"_

"Because, my dear, I need you to perform one last miracle tonight. It has to do with our other Cinderella, or rather Prince Charming."

"_I'll be over in about half an hour! Anything for you Dearest, a fairy godmother's magic never runs out!"_

Lory grinned. "That's why you're the best of the best. We'll rendezvous in my office in thirty minutes then." He hung up the phone and placed it on the coffee table between Ren and himself, trying not to squeal in excitement once more. It was all coming together so beautifully. Now all he needed was to get in his own costume and watch the scene unfold, completely inconspicuous (and then win the masquerade party as the cherry on the cake).

Ren had so many questions, most of which revolved around Ten-chan's mission, but the one at the forefront of his mind was the one he _had_ to ask first.

"Did you just refer to me as a Cinderella?"

* * *

It was amazing how quickly Lory's mood dissipated once he arrived at the party.

"I don't understand why you're so upset Grandpa, you entered the party the way you always do, of course people were going to know it was you." Maria whispered from behind her mask. She'd revealed her true identity to Lory in order to cheer him up; despite the fact she had cast a shadow spell on her costume. The spell was, of course, a way to ensure she remained undiscovered and could stealthily create mischief. But she supposed it was broken now that she'd willingly given away her identity.

"Yes, yes I know. Still it would have been nice to blend in for a little while." Lory sulked and Maria rolled her pretty hazel eyes from behind her ebony laced mask.

Despite the start of the evening not going to the way Lory imagined, he hoped the rest of the evening would go smoothly. If all went to the plan, things were going to change for Love Me member number one and for Ren Tsuruga. The President huffed slightly, torn between frustration and excitement. He knew things wouldn't go smoothly, it never did with those two, but at least he'd come to expect that of them now...and he had a few tricks up his sleeve to ensure they would have no choice but to work through those issues. He was tired of watching the pair of them run away and hide from their feelings and, though he promised he wouldn't interfere, he told himself he wasn't _really _interfering- not the way he actually wanted to. No. He was simply providing a little nudge. It was up to them where that went.

And if he had already started planning their wedding with Kuu, so what? They didn't have to know that.

Maria looked up at her Grandfather from behind her mask and watched the various emotions flash on his face. Truth be told the eight year old was rather frightened of her beloved grandpa that night. He seemed to have something on his mind that was causing him to occasionally shake with glee and she was fairly sure she'd heard that deep, slow chuckle that she had dubbed his 'plan laugh'. Honestly he seemed like he was up to no good, but the young girl couldn't figure out his thoughts at all, so she decided to wander around for a little while, take in the grandness of the party, and see if she could guess who anybody was behind their disguises.

The masquerade ball, originally meant as a Box-R wrap up party but had since spiralled, was situated in the Akebono Room of the Hotel Okura- one of Tokyo's top hotels and a frequently used venue for the President. Tonight the lights were slightly dimmed to keep the mysterious atmosphere alive, the ceiling arches were decorated with hanging fairy lights, flowers and chandeliers. In the middle of the hall there was a large area for dancing and an orchestra had set themselves up in the corner. Champagne and strawberries were handed out to the guests at various intervals. All in all it was a perfect clash of modern and classical styles. The room was slightly smaller than some of the larger event rooms, only being a four hundred capacity room, which gave the party a more intimate feel- despite the large amount of guests.

The party was well under way, guests were still arriving (Maria noticed with a little bit of ire that her beloved Ren-sama hadn't arrived yet- she would know for sure if he had no matter what disguise he wore) but the dancing in the middle of the hall had already started. The dresses and suits were all opulent or outlandish; some were daring where others were dashing. Some were historical where others were more fantasy based. Maria found herself thinking you could tell who the person was based on the type of costume they went with. Smiling like the Cheshire Cat, she would tug at the outfits of the grownups she thought she recognised, and would ask if it was them. Some were happy their identities were revealed, which wasn't nearly as fun as the ones that sulked like her Grandfather, one actress even stomped off in a huff. That was hilarious! Maria found herself skipping away from that encounter.

But whilst she was mid-skip she found herself jittering to a halt, completely frozen at the sight before her.

There, at the entrance to the hall, was the most rare and beautiful fairy that Maria had only wished to see in her wildest dreams. There she stood, the Queen of Fairies- with flowing ebony hair like a silky curtain of midnight. The crystals in her elegant white dress shone like the first ice-drops of a winter frost. Placed delicately on her porcelain face was a mask of silver, intricate golden swirls embellished the edges and a rich hue of blue dusted the area around the eyes. Around her head was a band of light sliver jewels, with one moon crystal hanging like a tear drop in the middle of her forehead. The fine opaque wings that protruded from her back looked so real; real enough that little Maria lost herself in awe for a moment, a moment where she truly believed. She believed in fairies.

Without even thinking, little Maria glided over towards the mysterious and wonderful sight- wanting to speak to the fairy, wanting her to see her up close, touch her hair and feel her wings. She was lost, completely and utterly lost in the feeling of wonder and magic.

"Um... excuse me." She wanted to reach out and touch the Queen to get her attention, but even she was afraid to do that. "Who- who are you?"

The Fairy Queen looked down at the mortal who'd grabbed her attention, and her face broke out into a pure and beautiful smile. Maria blushed and looked down at the ground, suddenly refusing to make eye contact.

"Maria-chan! It's me!" The Fairy Queen whispered happily.

Maria's head snapped up and her jaw dropped when she locked gazes with a pair of very familiar eyes. She couldn't believe it- no surely not-

"Onee-chan?!" She cried, her voice slightly strangled. Realisation started creeping in, and she slowly began to turn very red. "You- you completely fooled me. I thought you were the Queen of Fairies."

Kyoko thought her heart might disappear and float away to the heavens for the sheer happiness that Maria-chan's words had given her. At first she'd been completely taken in by the scene before her. It was as if she'd stepped into a magical world, where all the fantasy creatures were playing a fun little guessing game. But now Maria's kind words had her practically soaring with happiness, so happy was she that she almost forgot how completely and utterly terrified she was.

"Maria-chan is so sweet! And you look so pretty too, I love your mask." Kyoko replied as they toured the room, Kyoko sipping on the champagne she was offered as she entered, Maria on her orange juice (hating the fact that she was too young to enjoy champagne- not for lack of trying though).

Maria wanted to ask her dearest Onee-chan how she had found such a beautiful costume, she wanted one of her own but maybe in black instead, as well as several other thousand questions that were running through her mind- but as they walked past the dance floor she caught sight of her Grandfather signalling for her to go to him on stage, so she said a few parting words and ran off- leaving Kyoko by herself. On the opposite side of the room.

The dancing stopped and the President began a welcoming speech, congratulating the cast and crew of Box-R and toasting to a successful evening full of mystery and intrigue. Kyoko knew she should be paying attention but her mind began to wander. She was dressed as a fairy, how could it not wander back through the years, before LME, before Tokyo, before any of the amazing things that had happened to her since she left her childhood home? She thought of Corn, what would he say, what would he think if he could see her now? She hoped he'd be happy- for tonight she truly was a fairy!

Kyoko shook her head, mindful of the wig and all the adornments attached to it, now wasn't the time to get carried away. She had a mission given to her by Tsuruga-san and she couldn't, wouldn't fail. She had to find him; she had to- to flirt with him, and she still hadn't figured out what exactly she would say to him. Anything she thought of sounded ridiculous to her. She looked around the room, quite confident that Tsuruga-san had yet to arrive, which gave her more time to think of something. Tonight she wasn't Kyoko; she was Titania- a noble, graceful and mysterious fairy who wasn't above being playful towards the mortals she grew fond of. She just had to think of what Titania would say to a mortal man who captured her attention... yes now most definitely wasn't the time to think of Corn.

Besides, it's not as if Corn would simply show up at a masquerade ball full of humans _just_ to see her, no matter how much she wished that would be true.

The President's speech ended and Kyoko almost robotically applauded along with everybody else. The crowd began to disperse back to what they were doing before hand, the orchestra had started playing once more and Kyoko began idly playing with her now empty glass of champagne. Lost in thought, she stared at the passers-by as they made their way to the cocktails or the dance floor, never once knowing just how much attention she had drawn by her appearance. Almost everyone was whispering about her, the beautiful and mysterious fairy-woman, wondering who she could possibly be. Kyoko was, however, far too engrossed in her own thoughts to concentrate on the world around her. Her quietness and solitude only furthered the intrigue surrounding her.

Suddenly there was a parting of the crowd, as people rushed on to the dance floor when the orchestra began to play an instrumental version of an old but popular love song. Kyoko vaguely recognised it herself, and began swaying with the music.

She looked up at the parting crowd and, much like Maria did before, instantly halted her movements.

She had seen him.

It had to be him, Tsuruga-san. She would know him anywhere no matter how he disguised himself. And what a disguise- dressed in an eighteenth century black suit with a loose flowing white shirt, a sword attached at the hip and dark hair slicked backward, he walked in with a gentle and ghost-like grace, almost as if he was trying to blend into the background. The mask he wore was plain white and covered the top half of his face. There was no denying it, no way around it.

"The Phantom of the Opera." Kyoko whispered.

The young actress stood, enthralled by the sight, and almost wanted to turn away. He hadn't noticed her yet, and she was staring at him in such a way when he clearly wanted to remain inconspicuous. Oddly, it made her feel that she was spying on him. She snapped herself out of those thoughts, reminding herself that she wasn't Kyoko- she was Titania. She was, in this costume, completely unrecognisable. Challenge flared up like fire in her chest. Not just the challenge he had set for her, but the one she had secretly set for him. He had sounded so sure that he would recognise her, but what made him so confident in his abilities? Did he really know her as much as he seemed? What did that mean, if he did?

Well Kyoko might have been afraid to find out, but it was Titania's spirit controlling her body now, moving her forward towards the Phantom, disappearing into the shadows and reappearing by his side. Titania was ready, ready to test this Phantom's worth.

Ren made himself comfortable in a darkened corner of the room away from the main commotion of the party and had- miraculously- not yet been recognised. He wondered if it was the low lighting, because it was surely not his disguise. No costume in the world could hide the fact that he towered over everybody else in the room, a fact that most people would have identified in a second had the ball taken place in a better lit room. Now all he had to do was wait, he was confident that despite keeping himself relatively hidden, she would find him. He had faith.

He glanced towards the dance floor, and then to the other side of the room and his eyes widened at the sight before him.

She was walking towards him, a figure of almost haunting beauty. Her mannerisms and expression carried the quiet gracefulness of the truly regal. For a split second he doubted his own eyes. But as she stepped past of curtain of fairy lights and her face lit up he could see it. She could disguise herself in many ways but he would always see her underneath it all, the delicate rosy lips- the small nose, and those eyes. Those eyes had been etched into his memory since the day that they'd met and he would never forget them, not for once second.

"Kyoko" He whispered.

For a second, he forgot himself, he forgot what they were supposed to be doing- he forgot what _he_ would be doing later on that night. All his worries and troubles, all his fears and doubts, all were gone in the moment she came to stand by his side, wordless, casually and openly taking in all of his appearance. Ren had been scrutinized by many people in his lifetime, but never had a gaze made him falter.

Her gaze did.

"Well, well" She said in a deep and seductive voice which made Ren very much aware of just how much of a bad idea these flirting lessons had been. He put his hands in his pockets and made little fists, using all of his willpower not to reach out, pull the impossible beauty to him and show her- once and for all- his true unabashed feelings. "A Phantom has come to play at my party. But surely you didn't have one of these mortals in your sights?"

She locked eyes with him and Kyoko inwardly trembled. There was something in the look they were exchanging. She felt the blood rushing around her body like a river during a flood, it was a feeling she couldn't quite describe, something she'd never felt before. Like a sort of electric connection the two were sharing. It terrified her. Still she managed to maintain Titania's character and held her gaze firm. Inside she had never been so afraid, the seconds seemed to stretch for hours.

Ren leaned down to her eye level, his eyes lidded behind the mask, a smirk etched on his face, somehow combining the Phantom of the Opera with the Emperor of the Night.

"Mortal's don't interest me."

* * *

**They found each other at the party! :D I know I wrote it but I was so excited to see it happening. It always seems to me like these two just have this bond, a connection deeper than even they realise at this point, and they're always drawn to each other- which is great to write.**

**So...reviews for me? Keep my spirits up as I tackle the next monster of a chapter along with all my university work! XD**


	9. Chapter 9

**My God this chapter was a beast to get through! But before you start can I just say, the response to the last chapter was absolutely phenomenal. It blew me away. All of you are so kind with your praise, you seriously rock! It's inspired me to keep writing and do my absolute best- for myself, for you guys and for the characters too!**

**On with the chapter, it's a long one, so grab some popcorn! Haha :D**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Skip Beat, or any of the characters, I just own the plot bunnies XD**

* * *

Chapter 9

Kyoko fought with all of her might to keep the façade of Titania. There was no denying it now, the thing she was most scared of being true, was indeed true. He _did_ know it was her, of that she was certain; he had flirted only with her. She looked so completely different to her usual self that even Maria had a hard time recognising her. Yet he alone had seen through her in a second. She didn't want to think of what that could mean, she didn't want to hope-

_No! _She thought with desperation. _No I can't hope for something so far out of my reach, I can't allow myself to think there is any special meaning behind this. It's just impossible._

It was getting harder to deny what she saw with her own eyes, Kanae was completely right about that, but she would fight it until her last breath. It simply couldn't be true. And all of _this_, all of the flirting lessons (and especially the moments she was unsure what exactly they were to each other) put her in danger of wishing for more than she could ever allow herself to. She knew Kanae was right about one more matter- that the point of LoveMe was to regain that important emotion. Kyoko knew she would eventually have to accept romantic love back into her life in order to grow and develop as an actress. Her mind knew all of this, but her heart was still more than a little apprehensive, and she could never let herself believe she could achieve this with Ren Tsuruga.

It didn't matter that she would have to graduate LoveMe eventually, that wasn't what this was about. On the contrary it was about her falling so completely, utterly and hopelessly in love with the man standing in front of her- a man whom she could never have. If she didn't suppress those feelings they would spiral out of control to the point where she would never be able to recover.

It needed to stop. She needed to stop. These flirting lessons needed- to- stop.

But for now the best she could do was stay in character- which was increasingly difficult due to the way Ren was standing over her, now out of the shadows so the light finally struck his face. The atmosphere surrounding them was thick, full of many layers of emotions, and Kyoko fought hard not to look away. Her head was slightly dizzy; her insides seemed to be competing for a gymnastics trophy. Everything he did sent shivers up and down her body, made the hairs on her arms stand on end. The way he talked in that seductive voice, the way he loomed over her like she was the prey and he the hunter, the way he looked at her with those smouldering deep green eyes-

_Wait...what?_

"Ts- Tsuruga-san." Kyoko stood back from him a little bit, tilting her head in confusion. The spirit of Titania floated away the moment she got a closer look at those eyes. They seemed oddly familiar somehow, but it didn't make any sense. Her instant connection to those eyes was so far removed from the man standing before her, it almost made her laugh at her own ridiculousness- and she endeavoured to rationalise those thoughts out of existence. "Are you wearing coloured contacts?"

The effect that question had on Ren's countenance made Kyoko's chest constrict anxiously, her insides quaked with trepidation. The thoughts she could so easily dismiss as foolish mere moments ago were now growing roots in her mind and she didn't like that one bit. In fact the whole situation seemed to be growing more dangerous by the second. She felt the urge to run, run fast and run far- yet her legs were frozen. Ren stood up and away from her, the Emperor completely gone from his expression. For a brief moment Kyoko found it strange, how one second they had been two different people, but they could change so instantly and react so quickly to each other.

However the thought was soon gone from her mind. Her much respected Sempai, normally so calm and collected, seemed so ill at ease. Even though the Phantom mask covered his expression she could tell, he couldn't hide it from her. The tiny movements and gestures were unobservable to the untrained eye, but Kyoko knew them well. She told herself it was because of the amount of time she'd spent studying his behaviours as an actor, and pushed all other reasons out of her mind.

"No." Ren breathed out in a hushed whisper and Kyoko was further alarmed to note the slightest hint of a quiver in his voice. "No I'm not wearing coloured contacts."

Kyoko didn't know what to think, her mind completely shut down due to the surge of questions that one statement had brought forth. How could that be his eye colour? Had he been wearing coloured contacts the entire time? What was the purpose? What did it mean? What was happening?

Ren looked down at the beauty before him, noticing her tense up, and sighed. His hand went up to touch his face but instead his fingers met the cool, blank smoothness of his mask. His arm went limp at his side and he looked almost helplessly at Kyoko, wanting to say so much to her and not having the faintest idea where to start.

And then there was the matter of how she would react. What if she never looked at him the same way again?

He needed to tell her the truth; he _wanted_ to tell her the truth. But he also wanted one last moment, just one last moment, of her looking at him with complete trust- before things changed for good.

"Dance with me."

Kyoko frowned at him from behind her mask and glanced over to the dance floor, biting her lip worriedly. Ren felt a crushing sense of guilt, ripping and twisting in his gut. He made her feel this way and he hated that. He thought that revealing his true eye colour first would be safe, something not many people would notice and easily explainable if they did. And it would also ease her into the idea that he was-

...But all it seemed to have done was make the situation more complicated.

"I don't- I don't understand what's happening." She said honestly and locked eyes with him for a moment, before looking away. Those eyes seemed so strange, so different and yet so similar to-

_It's not possible Kyoko. Stop it. Stop dreaming._ She thought desperately, taking a sharp breath through the nose to calm herself.

Ren noticed it was his hesitancy that was frightening her and all he wanted was for her to feel safe with him, for her to be happy. So he turned to her with a small smile, hoping to lighten the mood, and said "I know you're confused, and I promise you that I'll explain everything. But not here. Besides, it's a nice night, it would be a shame if we came to a ball- especially when you're dressed like that- and didn't take the opportunity to dance."

Kyoko knew he was trying to distract her, distract her from the fear of what would happen after the dance ended. She couldn't deny she was afraid of what he would say, why he was so nervous to say it, and why he needed to say it to _her_ (after all what made her so special?). And yet another emotion was taking hold, its voice was growing louder with each passing moment. She looked at his hand, outstretched for her to accept. She had to wonder- how many times had he held out his hand to her? How many times had her trust in him taken her to places she could never dreamed of in her purest fantasies? If it wasn't for him reaching out to her, she would never have accepted the role of Mio in Dark Moon, never found her perfect Natsu, never found Queen Rosa's crystal. She was a small rose, growing and learning as she ventured forth into the world of acting. He was the vase, strong and sturdy and always there lending his support- even when she didn't realise it.

Did she really need to be so scared?

"I've never danced with someone before." She said as she put her hand in his, not for the first time a she was sure not the last. "So I'm truly sorry if step on your toes. I will do my best to be careful."

In that moment it didn't matter what happened before, or what happened after. The look he was giving her now, that pure and wonderful smile of his, made her fears melt away as they walked arm in arm to the dance floor. The music was soft and gentle, and he guided her like a mountain guiding a stream. She matched his movements seamlessly every step of the way, not once did she step on his toes.

That night, in the Akebono room of the Hotel Okura, hundreds of guests watched in awe of the pair that danced in perfect harmony, synchronising their movements to the music and to each other in such a magical, almost fairy-tale like fashion. There was something special in the way the two glided, as if they were floating on air, which made it seem as if they'd been preparing for this dance for a whole lifetime. The President peered over at them as he danced with his granddaughter and listened to the whispers of who they mysterious beauty dancing with Tsuruga-san could be. He grinned knowingly before turning away, hoping to distract Maria from Ren a little while longer.

But none of this existed to the pair, the world was their own. The dance hall might as well have been empty for all they noticed outside of each other. And Kyoko couldn't help but think it really didn't matter what colour Tsuruga-san's eyes were- as long as they kept looking at her with such joy in them.

* * *

The hours blended into each other, every second seemed to go by faster than its predecessor and, before Kyoko had time to pause, the clock struck midnight and the ball ended. The curious thing was nobody seemed to recognise her even after the ceremonial removing of the masks- even her former colleagues. She discussed this with Ren, unsure whether to feel flattered or explain it away as a mark of being relatively unknown still (she was more inclined to the latter perspective).

"It's the mark of the ability of an actor, how well you can blend into a role. You do it in such a way that makes people forget you and believe entirely in the character you create." Ren said as they made their way to his car, the valet having already given him his keys. "You're good at doing that because you don't just create the character, you become the character."

Kyoko was glad it was semi-dark in the parking lot, considering she seemed to be blushing from head to toe at his praise. She was also glad Jelly had given her clothes to change into at the end of the party, those wings were quite uncomfortable and she wasn't sure she would be able to fit into the car with them. An odd image of a fairy chauffeur driving her around crossed her mind (why would they drive? Surely they could use fairy dust to transport them anywhere they wanted to go?) before she shook her head, trying to avoid getting lost in fantasies whilst in a conversation.

"Really Tsuruga-san, I think you're too liberal with your praise, I still have a long way to go before I'm so deserving of it." She mumbled, almost in a chiding voice, and Ren couldn't help but chuckle quietly. He remembered the days back in Kyoto, when she would tell off Corn for commending her when she got a high (but not perfect) score on her tests.

'_You should only praise me when I get a perfect score!' _She would say once she had stopped crying, and her usual fighting spirit came back to her. _'An eighty-eight percent isn't good enough, mummy says so. If I get praise for grades that aren't good, I won't get better!"_

Ren tried to distract himself from the fear that rose in his chest when he thought of Corn, and what would happen when he told her the truth.

"Don't you think it's rude to contest your Sempai's opinion, especially when he's giving you praise? It's like you're saying you know more than your teacher." He teased, feigning shock as he looked at her, only revealing his amusement when his back was turned and he opened the car door for her. Ren fully expected Kyoko's expression to be horrified she'd offended her sempai and for a second he looked like his expectations were to be met.

But then Kyoko looked at him with a raised eyebrow and a playful little smile, as she slid past him into the front seat.

"Stop teasing me _Sem-pai_, you know what I mean." She said slowly, with a wink as a final flourish. She placed such a seductive and playful emphasis on the word Sempai that it made Ren grip the open car door almost painfully. _Where on Earth did she learn to talk like that?!_

Without saying a word he slammed her car door shut and hurried over to the other side, aware of how foolish he seemed to be acting and wanting very much to hit his head on something repeatedly in frustration.

"Did I say something wrong?" Kyoko asked and Ren froze, remaining silent. "I've been practicing intonation and expression by watching romantic comedies and dramas. I think I'm getting a good handle on my character- Yui- now. I have a much better idea of who she is. Do you think I did well just then? That was Yui just then."

_So she's flirting with me in character, why am I not surprised? Why was I such an idiot as to believe she'd be flirting with me as herself? She will never see me that way. _Ren wished he'd been able to drink at the party. He should have hired a taxi. He didn't want to rely on liquid courage to tell her the truth about himself though. Nor was he sure alcohol was the best solution.

Ren tried to hide his disappointment, and replied in a smooth and measured voice "It was very good. I'm glad you're getting your character. When do you start shooting?"

"In about two months." Kyoko said quietly and there was something in her tone that made Ren glance over at her, she was staring intensely at her lap and fidgeting with her hands nervously.

"Don't worry, you'll be fine." Ren reassured gently, taking a measured guess as to the source of her worries, and placed the key into the ignition- taking a deep breath as he did so. The second the engine roared to life there would be no turning back from what he was about to do. He suppressed a shudder.

"Hmm? Oh no, it's not that. I'm not worried about that." Kyoko stammered, tripping over her words and still refusing to look at him. "Well I- I am worried about that, but-"

Her head snapped up instinctively as she heard the engine stutter and die.

Ren frowned and turned the key again. Again the engine stuttered and died.

This could not be happening. Did the universe really hate him that much?

"Tsuruga-san?" Kyoko questioned, watching his expression turn to both thunder and exasperation at the same time as he tried to start the car to no avail. The car remained as lifeless as their masquerade masks. "I think we should go get help."

Ren hit his head on the steering wheel in frustration. The result of this caused Kyoko to shriek with surprise, leap up in her seat and hit her head on the roof of the car. Ren jumped upright at the sound of her cry and turned to the sight of her leaning over, cradling her head and cringing.

"Kyoko! Are you alright?!" He panicked, leaning over as far as he could and placed a hand on her shoulder and one hand under her chin, gently tilting her head up. "Look at me, you hit your head. Are you ok?"

Kyoko groaned in pain but looked up to meet his gaze and nod, her eyes were watery but otherwise she seemed coherent. Ren breathed a sigh of relief.

"At least the car horn is working." Kyoko said as she rubbed her head weakly.

* * *

"The staff said to keep the ice pack on the head for about five minutes more." Ren said as he held the icepack on the spot where her head made contact with the roof of his car.

"You know I can hold it there myself, I'm alright you know. I didn't hit it that hard and it doesn't even hurt anymore. I didn't even pass out." Kyoko grumbled, trying to control her heartbeat. What she said was partly true, there was only a light dull ache now and she was sure she would get a little bump but it was nothing to be worried about. More than anything though she just wanted Ren to stop cradling her head as they sat in waiting in the Hotel Okura welcome hall. All the guests had gone home and, as it was past midnight, very few people were around- yet she was worried about what people would think. They were in what Kyoko considered to be a very compromising position, however innocent it looked to outsiders.

Well it certainly _felt_ like a compromising position.

_You've been in a far more compromising situation with him before._ Her memories reminded her; she hated her mind at times and shook her head, earning a chiding from Ren. Honestly that was a completely different situation! She'd been acting as Setsu then, she hadn't been herself!

"There's still a chance of concussion." Ren argued.

"You worry too much, there's no chance of concussion." She bickered back, crossing her arms and sulking.

"Hold still. It's better to be safe than sorry."

Kyoko's embarrassment and irritation rose every second. He could be SO ANNOYING when he wanted to be! And stubborn! And just...just so very annoying! She was so flustered she was having trouble accessing her full lexicon, so she decided to stick with annoying. BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT HE WAS!

She was about to snap back at him when the receptionist- a small brunette with large violet eyes and a warm aura- walked over to them both and Kyoko practically pounced onto the other side of the sofa. She didn't want to give the wrong impression, but was completely unaware of the hurt expression that briefly crossed Ren's face. Her plan slightly failed, as the receptionist attempted to hide her surprise at the sudden gesture.

"The water from the icepack trickled onto my neck, it made me jump." Kyoko explained lamely, her cheeks flaring. Ren looked up at the receptionist with a gentlemanly smile and Kyoko could tell he was annoyed. Apparently this was good enough for the receptionist, however, as she returned the smile and nodded.

"I hope you're head is feeling better miss." She stated and Kyoko agreed shortly, trying not to be rude despite how irritated she was. The receptionist turned back to Ren and a more regretful expression crossed her face. "I'm sorry Tsuruga-san; we were unable to find a car service so late. However one of our valets is also an apprentice mechanic and when he tried to fix your car, he noticed that it has been vandalised."

Ren and Kyoko both looked at each other in confusion for a moment. "What do you mean?" Ren asked.

"It appears as if someone has siphoned the fuel from your car."

"Why would somebody do that?!" Kyoko cried outraged and for the first time in a long time, she felt a few of her demons floating around her prepared to hunt down and punish the thief. "That is utterly ridiculous! Not to mention against the law!"

"We are investigating now." The receptionist dipped her little head, and took a step back, feeling the demonic presence despite not being able to see it. "I am truly sorry we allowed this to happen, and I assure you we will do everything to make sure the thief is found. In the mean time, as an apology, we'd like to offer you one complimentary night's stay and free access to the spa tomorrow. Umm...I don't mean to pry, but...will you be requiring one room or two? Either way we will be completely discreet." She stammered the last part awkwardly, shuffling from one foot to another.

"We'll be requiring two rooms. Thank you." Ren said composedly, looking to Kyoko "Are you happy with this? I can find a way to get you home tomorrow morning."

Kyoko was torn, a part of her just wanted to go home and forget the majority of this evening, forget the way dancing in his arms had made her feel, forget the way they'd teased, flirted and bickered and fought as if they'd known each other for a lifetime. But another knew she'd only wake up tomorrow and remember. She wasn't sure she could forget even if she tried.

And then there was the matter of Ren's true eye colour, which still made her chest constrict whenever his gaze met hers. Though before she knew it she was agreeing (what choice did she have, really?) and being led to her room- right across the hall from Ren's own room.

The attendant placed her bags on the chair and wished her a goodnight before leaving her on her own to examine the surroundings. Her breath was lost to her surprise, for the room was so luxurious. According to the signs, they were in the Garden Wing, and there were views of the lit-up fountain and trees outside. The room was bathed in gold and green- giving the impression that she was in a palace in the middle of a European forest. The bed was silky smooth and she disappeared into its softness. For the first time all day, she relaxed and sighed deeply.

There was a knock at her door and she sighed again, wanting to stay on the comfy bed forever. She begrudgingly slipped off the bed and slumped over to the door, unsurprised to see Ren standing before her.

"I just wanted to check everything was alright." He said, but Kyoko was sure there was more. He seemed too unsettled, despite his cool-like countenance. At first she thought of simply affirming she was alright and going to bed. But sympathy won out, he clearly needed someone to talk to and, in the absence of Bo the Chicken, she was probably just impartial enough to hear what he had to say. She did wonder whether or not this was about his past. It was clearly serious enough that it rattled him a great deal and the only thing she'd ever seen him so worked up about was either to do with Katsuki- when he confessed to Bo that he wouldn't allow himself to fall in love- and when he was trying to deal with his inner demons as Cain Heel. Truth is she had no clue what to feel, what to think, and that greatly unsettled her.

Hoping to mask her own nervousness, she smiled reassuringly and invited him in for some tea- as she'd noticed a kettle and some packets of instant tea on the desk by the window.

Ren tried not to let his hands shake as he accepted the warm cup from her hands, and sat in one of the oddly regal armchairs. This wasn't exactly how he pictured this going, but if he didn't do this now he wasn't sure he'd gain the courage to do it again. He felt like such a coward.

"Did you enjoy the evening?" Ren asked after a minute of awkward silence. He glanced over at Kyoko, who seemed to have just been jerked out of her own thoughts.

"Oh, yes." She stammered. "I liked your costume by the way; I thought that was very clever."

"Thank you. I can't take credit for it though, it was Jelly's idea; I just went along with it so I wouldn't feel her wrath." Ren stated as he took a sip of the green tea. He was fully aware he was prolonging the situation but couldn't help it.

"Oh, she helped you too? She did the same with me, she insisted I was a fairy queen although I wasn't about to say no!" Kyoko cheered up instantly and the wires connected in Ren's brain. So that was who Jelly had been with earlier...suddenly this whole scenario was starting to feel like one giant conspiracy set up by the President. He would be making a very inquisitive phone call tomorrow. "Did you see my wings? Oh they were so pretty! If only I had those for real..."

"Then you could be with Corn." Ren said quietly but Kyoko heard it. Her heart skipped.

"It would be lovely to see him again. I wonder if it would have made him smile, to see me that way." She replied and looked at Ren's eyes again. Ren breathed out a shudder, he was sure he saw the tiniest hint at understanding behind her look and was unsure if that made this easier or harder. He was probably imagining it though.

"Do you miss him?" He asked, even though he knew the answer.

Kyoko smiled warmly, looking at her lap and her gaze seemed distant. Ren felt a pang of longing, he so wished she would look like that when she thought of him as he was now. But he supposed his actions between his time as Corn and the time he came to Japan made him undeserving of such a wonderful thing.

"I think about him a lot, how much he helped me in such a short space of time, and I carry his wisdom and his presence with me wherever I go. He was my first friend outside of Sho. So yes I miss him, of course I do." Kyoko laughed warmly, though there was a hint of sadness in her voice which made Ren's need to tell her grew exponentially. He wanted her to understand he'd been here all along. "In a way I suppose dressing as a fairy made me feel closer to him tonight- although that almost didn't happen. Jelly was a last minute saviour. I wasn't able to find anything to wear and she saved me last second. I drove Kanae-san crazy with my worrying, she stomped off in anger a lot and she even suggested I steal my Bo costume from Bridge Rock because any costume would be worth shutting me up. Even a ridiculous chicken...one..."

Kyoko trailed off at the last second, realising her gigantic error mid sentence and staring horror struck at the shell shocked expression on Ren's face.

_Oh God, what have I done?! I was so caught up remembering Corn that I didn't think before I spoke! Nonononononono! This is BAD! So very bad!_

At first Ren was unsure he'd heard right, but from the way she looked at him now he could tell he wasn't mistaken.

"Excuse me." He questioned lowly, his expression darkening with every passing moment. "But did you just say...chicken costume?"

Kyoko gripped the edge of the bed tightly, unsure of what to do, her first reaction seemed to be to hyperventilate but she was sure that would not improve the situation.

"Ah- well- you see- I mean- that is- umm."

"Mogami-san." He stated and Kyoko realised how much she'd gotten used to him calling her by her first name now that he called her otherwise. Her danger-metre was rising rapidly. He was _definitely_ angry. "Do you mean to say that you play the Chicken at Bridge Rock?"

The cat was out of the proverbial bag, and if she tried to deny it now she would only make him angrier.

She admitted defeat, and nodded her head, not daring to meet his eyes.

Ren stood up quickly, putting his cup on the stand beside him, and pacing several feet away from her. He tried desperately to control his anger, feeling like a hypocrite, yet he couldn't help but feel deeply hurt.

"So all this time you've known, and yet pretended as if you didn't? Do you think I'm a fool? Did you think it was funny?" _Do I really mean so little to you? _He turned back to her and noted the tears welling up in her eyes.

Now it was Kyoko's turn to stand up furiously, her expression desperate.

"No!" She cried. "It's not like that at all; it wasn't my place to discuss it with you. You trusted Bo, not me, and I promise I kept your secrets! I didn't tell anybody a word of what you spoke!"

Ren knew what she was saying was true, but he felt wounded that she'd known of his feelings all this time and yet said or done nothing. He'd already confessed to the girl he loved, and she still treated him as nothing more than a Sempai.

He needed to leave.

"I'm going to bed." He said quietly, moving away from her and towards the door. The sight of his back turned made Kyoko panic and she ran after him.

"Wait!" She called out, hoping to make him believe her, wanting him to look at her with trust once more. She didn't want to lose him and if she couldn't make him see she was telling the truth, how sorry she was, she feared she would lose him forever. She couldn't let that happen. Not now. "Tsuruga-san, please hear me out!"

Her foot collided with the leg of coffee table and she went spiralling forwards clumsily, colliding straight into Ren's legs and sending the both of them tumbling to the ground.

Kyoko lay there for a moment, dazed and confused as to what exactly had just transpired. Her heart beat fast and she sat up panicked once more.

"I am so sorry! I'm sorry Tsuruga-san I didn't mean to be so clumsy, I just-"

She stopped speaking mid sentence when she noticed the sight before her.

Ren lay beside her, his chest rising and falling rapidly. His white shirt crumpled up to reveal a portion of his toned chest and his green eyes were wide and looking at her in confusion.

But there was something different, something that changed everything. Something her mind couldn't comprehend, so she stared at him blankly.

What Kyoko now understood to be a black wig rested beside Ren's head, having been knocked off him as they'd crashed to the ground. And underneath where that dark hair had been, was a mop of soft, blonde hair.

As blonde as a fairy's.

* * *

**Ok, I know that was an evil cliffhanger, but I promise this story is GOING places! And I'm working hard on the next chapter. So I hope you guys aren't too mad. Besides you were all spoiled by that epic long chapter XD and so much fluff! So much feels! You know you love the drama really haha.**

**Until the next time!**


End file.
